


Desperate to Drown

by Flailchicken



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: I will try to keep tags updated as we go, M/M, Mentions of Blood, Not Beta'd, Slow Build, Slow Burn, and some of you won't even click this thing if I don't, bazz for relationship-president, because it's that bad, because she's awesome and deserves respect ffs, best dad dorephan, bless everyone basically, can I tag 'oblivious' like ten times, don't pretend you would, just an fyi, little PTSD-ish, mentions of cauterization, no really you should see my planner, rated M because it eventually goes that way, that's definitely not me trying to lure you in, there's art in here btw, though I honestly dunno how to tag, very dense behavior, wingwoman zelda
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-23
Updated: 2018-03-10
Packaged: 2019-03-08 08:48:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 31,501
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13454697
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Flailchicken/pseuds/Flailchicken
Summary: "After he had helped the Princess to start the rebuilding of her Kingdom, she set him free from his duties.But just how much freedom do you have when your mind is still trapped in the past?If you can't trust your own eyes, then what sight can you rely on?"When memories start to meddle in with the hero's perception of reality, things become complicated rather quickly.It doesn't really help that he likes to fix his own problems by himself either.A story of processing the past, losing your mind and a little smidge of PTSD.Oh, and a sloooow build up to developing a crush on a certain zora prince (as if you didn't expect that...)





	1. It seems you have been missed

**Author's Note:**

> Quick note:  
> "" = regular speech  
> [] = sign language

_The sound of bone shattering upon impact had never sounded so satisfying._

Or so that had been a glimpse of a thought he used to have quite often, a few years ago that is.

It had been over two years since the defeat of Calamity Ganon, and like everyone he had met during his travels had dreamed of, there was a surplus of peace upon the lands now (with a small case of monsters every once in a while).

In those years, Link has spent his time by Princess Zelda’s side, rebuilding the Kingdom of Hyrule, reinforcing their bonds with the other kingdoms and clans… A lot of work, to put it in short terms. The travelling part was probably the most fun out of all of it, considering he’d been around every area at least once, maybe a little more eager than he should be about sharing all he learned during his own travels. It was already a relief the roads weren’t loaded with monsters every time he turned his head, though there sure were no complaints from his behalf whenever one or two did decide to show their faces.

Somewhere in the far back of his mind, he’d almost miss it a little.

Just a little…

It was a good thing Zelda had left him in charge of setting up and training the new Knights of Hyrule, the blond doubted he could just suddenly stop wielding a blade after such a long time. By the time he took the Calamity down, it had become something as natural as breathing, also not something you can just suddenly give up out of the blue. Not that it would kill him to stop fighting, like it would kill one to stop breathing, but nonetheless it seemed somewhat impossible.

Even though he was to share all his knowledge about how to hold oneself up against each and every type of monster, the silent knight still made a bit of a happy skip every time a group of monsters decided to pass their borders. By now, the others had gotten used to him wanting to deal with them on his own every once in a while. Of course, he knew fully well he’d have to take some of these as chances for them to put their training to the test, but it wasn’t wrong to indulge in an old habit from time to time, was it?

Link shook his head a little, leaving his thoughts and coming back to reality as the all too familiar sight of the Great Zora Bridge came into view.

They had always taken what Link liked to refer to as ‘the scenic route’. Not for that reason though, but more so the fact that traveling by means of the Sheikah slate was a bit more limited than Zelda had expected, and by travelling up there by horse, they could also make sure the roads were still safe to travel on. The blond couldn’t complain, once they’d have passed Inogo Bridge it’d be an easy trip. The Zoras did make sure to keep that part of the route rid of any monsters, so that last bit of the way was always a moment of peace and quiet, sightseeing even. After all, it was quite breathtaking how the path seemed to flow so naturally with its surroundings, as if nature had intended it to be a way of travelling all along.

It was something he’d been allowed the pleasure of seeing quite often these past two years, after all the bond between the Kingdom of Hyrule and the Zora Domain had always been strong, and the Princess was very set on making sure it was kept that way. They’d head out for the Domain at least once every two months, and Zelda had been making sure to keep contact frequently outside of the bi-monthly visits through letters and the likes. There was really no one that couldn’t say she wasn’t putting in any effort, quite the opposite actually. Then again, she had a hundred years to figure out a ‘business plan’, right? Probably. Maybe. Heck, he didn’t even know, he wasn’t the one sealing the Calamity for that entire time.

With a small shrug of the shoulders, Link tightened his grip on the reigns, feeling excited to be here again. The Kingdom of Hyrule wasn’t the only one with their strongest bonds being here. Quite a few of the Zoras had actually known him before his long, LONG slumber, so it had been nice to catch up with all of them a little while the Princess was discussing whatever business with the King (unless his presence was requested of course).

Without the threat of the Blood Moon, blights, malice and all the other little ‘gifts’ that came with Calamity Ganon’s big bag of surprises, being over their heads (mostly Link’s), he finally could just have a chat with everyone in peace.

Though, occasionally some of them still had a quest or two laying around for him.  
Oh well, not like he had anything better to do now.

\- - -

The blond had perched himself up on one of the many railings, feet dangling over something he could only describe as ‘immediate death’ if he were to slip off. But without a constant downpour, it wasn’t as slippery at it once had been, and he had survived that at the time as well, so why would he fall down now? Though, he couldn’t help to think that maybe sitting at the edge of a fall even Mipha’s grace wouldn’t be able to bring him back from, might not be the smartest idea.

He had no time to finish that thought however, because, at the exact same time of day as with every visit, a voice he recognized better than he’d recognize the sound of own footsteps, called out his name rather enthusiastically. But that was probably the only way the Zora Prince could utter his name, with the utmost enthusiasm and amazement. It never failed to bring a smile to the Hylian’s face, as well as let a small chuckle slip from between his lips, a hand brought up to stifle it as the other would get too nearby to not notice and start asking questions.

It had happened before, it would probably happen again, just not today.

With a small hop, Link swung himself back over the railing, feet landing on safe and solid ground. It was only now that he noticed how long he had actually spent dangling them above the abyss, letting out an annoyed huff at the tingling in his feet. He had been sitting there for so long, it seemed they had fallen asleep.

“In good shape as ever, I see! My friend, I hope I didn’t keep you waiting for too long?”

As always, so worried about everything but himself. The Hylian immediately shook his head, bringing his hands up into view as to sign at him he was right on time, like every other time the crimson red Zora had asked for him to wait outside.

It was no mystery to anyone the two enjoyed each other’s company. Now that they had some proper time together, that didn’t lessen any of it. The two could spend hours just sitting somewhere, mostly the Eastern Reservoir, and talk.

Sidon was always excited like a small child to hear what took place in their time apart outside of the domain, while Link wanted to hear about the exact opposite, listening to every little thing that he had missed out on until the sun would start to set. That was their que to head back, more often than not.

 

Their return to the domain this time, was anything but graceful. A sight to behold as Link tried to keep himself balanced on the other’s shoulders, all the while laughing like children who were left unsupervised for way too long. Probably because that was exactly what they were, unsupervised children.

Somewhere on their way back, the Zora Prince had remarked on his ability to see one of the bridges from where they were walking. Whereas Link, being half the fucker’s height, could very much not. Of course the taller of the two had to comment on this, asking how he managed to find his way around all the mountain areas he had crossed on his travels.

Link responded by climbing right onto his back, all the way up to his shoulders before looking down straight into a pair of startled, golden eyes. A wide grin spread across his lips before they parted and a quiet voice, barely audible, stated he’d ‘just find the highest point’.

At this, the both of them cracked up. Which left them looking rather… immature upon their return, Zelda standing outside of the throne room and watching them walk down the bridge that lead to the Reservoir, softly shaking her head but still finding herself incapable of keeping her lips from curling upwards.

She slowly made her way down the stairs, fully intending on crossing the path of two clowns as they seemed to have split up into two separate beings again, much to Link’s disagreement.

Once the Princess was within hearing-distance for them, she cleared her throat and instantly got two heads turning towards the noise, and two pair of eyes looking at her in surprise. A moment of silence hung in the air, neither of them having anything to say as Zelda decided to speak up before the silence would become awkward.

“It seems you have been missed. Maybe more frequent visits are in order?”

Even as a Princess, she had to stifle a small giggle at the sight of their dumbstruck faces. It always amazed her how they still had trouble figuring out whether she was being serious, or mocking them where they stood. She’d leave it just that way too.  
  
Link eventually just gave a small shrug in return, feeling like that was the safest option. This way, if she was saying it out of mockery, at least he wouldn’t give her the satisfaction of having him fooled.

The recalling of memories was still a thing, even now. But one thing he remembered rather quickly was that you never, EVER let the princess of Hyrule know she had you beat, unless you wanted to spend the other hundred years of your life having it rubbed in your face.

Zelda actually let out a quiet laugh at that, bringing her hand up to her lips to cover them in an attempt to silence herself.

Sidon on the other hand, just seemed even more confused as to what kind of silent conversation the two Hylians just had. Golden eyes switching their gaze between both blondes, the tip of his tail flicking a little in what Link could only guess was either confusion or he was getting slightly irritated.

Luckily, the Princess seemed to have noticed the tiny gesture as well, straightening herself and crossing her arms behind her back as a warm smile crept across her complexion.

“It was a very serious question, though.”

Now that, that was a little surprising. The princess’ knight could only stare at her in disbelief, blinking a few times, but seemingly only when necessary. He had really thought she was mocking them right there and then, but from the expression on her face, it was clear she meant for that to be taken seriously, and nothing else.

“After all, our bond with the Domain has always been one of the stronger ones. And you are not the only one who appreciates to be amongst people who you’ve known a hundred years back.”

That last bit was obviously directed at Link, as she looked at him directly and rather intensely too. But it only brought a similar smile to the knight’s own lips, his head giving a barely noticeable nod as to agree with her words. With Zelda, he rarely spoke or signed, because she didn’t need it to understand him most of the time, it was rather nice to know someone could read him that well.

Maybe mildly concerning, there was no keeping secrets around her for that same reason.

“I think I speak for myself as well as my father when I say, it would be our pleasure to welcome you here anytime!”

“You’re just saying that so you get more chances to dunk Link into every body of water at least once.”

Zelda retorted immediately, and Link had never loved that grin on her face more than he did right now. Especially now that it wasn’t aimed at him, but a certain Zora Prince that, in his opinion, did deserve it for the exact reason the Princess had just described.

“I did not---”

“Like the time at the Eastern Reservoir…”

“Now hold on a---”

“Or when you wanted to show him Toto Lake.”

“But he was the one who---”

“Or when you decided taking him for a jump from Shatterback Point would be a great idea.”

“… Do I even get a chance to redeem myself?”

“Do you even want to _ try_, Prince Sidon~?”

To say it was hard for Link to hold back his laughter at seeing the Prince pouting like a child, was an understatement. In the meantime, they had slowly continued their way to the inn.

Every time they’d visit the Domain, Zelda would be offered a room in the palace, and every time she’d decline it. Turns out she likes spending time with Kodah and her family, with the meetings and responsibilities she had, it was one of the few opportunities where she could speak with them for as long as she pleased. Where she would feel like any other person for a moment, instead of royalty.

Not that she had any complaints, but it was nice to not walk in the royal shoes, even if only for a little bit.

“The time at Mikau Lake really took the cake, I think Link has never screamed as loud as that time. Or sneezed as much when he came down with a cold the day after…”

“Again. Do I even get a chance..?”

“Why you picked the top part of the lake to toss him in is still beyond me.”

“I will take that as a ‘no’ then.”

“Oh! The time we had to retrieve him from the Zora River!”

“Now wait a minute! That was his own doing! He INSISTED on walking on the railing.”

“You let him, I'm still holding it on you.”

“Ugh… is there anything you won’t be holding against me then?”

“… The time at Ruto’s Precipice was my fault. I will give you that one.”

“Thank you.”

“I just wondered what the fun was in pushing him off.”

A silence fell for a moment, neither of them saying anything and it made the knight a little nervous whether they were having a silent warzone right now.

“I still wonder that, actually. What is so fun about tossing my knight into the water?”

“The part where he keeps telling me I would not dare to do so, that is what.”

And with that single sentence, Zelda whipped her head a nearly perfect 90 degrees, looking straight at said knight with what could only be described as murderous intend. At the audible gulp coming from the male Hylian, it seemed to soften to a mild scowl though.

“… Now _that_ you never told me, Link.”

He nervously gave a shrug, not knowing how else to respond, but it seemed to suffice enough for her to turn her head back and watch where she was going. Considering they were going down a pair of stairs, a wise decision.

“Prince Sidon, would you kindly do me a favor?”

Oh-oh…

That tone of voice never spelled out any good.

It was during moments like these that he truly felt small compared to the other two, especially since Zelda had hit quite the growth spurt since last year, and now stood an inch or two taller than the hero. Who would be a lot less bitter about it if he had gained at least a little bit of height himself. But the Princess loved to rub that in, as well as him having kept what she likes to call his ‘babyface’ over the past two years.

Whether or not the Shrine of Resurrection had any influence on that, no one had a clue.

“Why of course, anything~”

Oh, he could just HEAR the smirks in their voices. The small glances they shared were not spelling out any good news either. If he wasn’t set on sleeping in a bed tonight, he’d have made a run for it long ago. It wasn’t the first time he’d slept in a tree, he was sure it wouldn’t be the last either.

“Toss him off the domain as a wake-up call, first thing in the morning.”

Welp, there went his night’s rest.

Maybe he could sneak out sometime later and reconsider about sleeping in that tree after all. Or climb his way up on to spend the night on top of the throne room, not like he hadn’t done it before. Anything was better than what Zelda had in mind for him.

“It’d be my pleasure.”

Oh like hell it would you overgrown fish.

Though, as stated before, Zelda seemed to have gotten the ability to read his every thought as if it was played in her mind instead of his own.

“Link, if you even think about running off who knows where I swear to Hylia I will have you tossed off of Shatterback Point with your feet tied to a rock.”

Maybe he shouldn’t test her on that statement. Again, it was very hard to tell when she was being serious or not, this time was no exception.

The fact his entire face turned nearly as pale as the white scales belonging to the Zora Prince, seemed to humor the both of them enough to burst out laughing. He wasn’t sure whether laughing along would be a good thing, or get him tossed off right now instead of in the morning. He’d just remain quiet, something he had no difficulty with whatsoever.

“Relax, my friend. If I tossed you off of here unprepared, it might just become your grave.”

Like he hadn’t figured that one out himself. From this height, a body of water would hit him about as hard as a landslide. No thank you.

“So, you can rest assured. I prefer you alive after all.”

“Link, you should really stop taking my words too serious all the time.”

The Princess spoke in between small giggles that remained of their laughing fit. Meanwhile they had reached the entrance of the inn, and Kodah was switching glances between the three of them, mostly looking at ‘Linny’ as if he was going to explain it any minute now.

 

He was not.

\- - -

It wasn’t until the moon decided to show itself from above the mountains, did Zelda’s voice break the silence between the two of them. It wasn’t anything unusual they both couldn’t manage to fall asleep the first night of their visits. As exhausting as the trip had been, it still had always been a change of environment they’d have to get used to first.

In Link’s case, the sound of running water had always been relatively calming to fall asleep to. But when you are surrounded by it from every and all sides, it can become rather distracting. It had started to become obvious why Zoras had no problems with it, considering they slept submerged in water. But he could still recall the many nights he had spent in the domain, looking out over it as he listened to the waterfalls, trying to figure out how they all weren’t bothered in the slightest.

In Zelda’s case, she probably had too much on her mind to even hear the waterfalls in the first place.

With an audible sigh, she turned on her side, looking right at her knight, who seemed rather mesmerized by the ceiling. In reality, he was thinking if it would help any if he slept near waterfalls more often, to get used it, maybe.

“Link…?”

It was quiet, barely reaching the Hylian’s ears with all the background noise. But her voice stood out like a sore thumb against the usual sounds, and he carefully turned his head to look back at her.

“I was thinking… maybe you should take some time off.”

Wait what.

“I mean, you’ve helped me through every step of rebuilding the Kingd--- _my_ Kingdom so far. You’ve awoken from a hundred years of slumber, set free the Divine Beasts and with that the Champion’s spirits, freed me and everyone else from Calamity Ganon’s grasp and even spent every breath after that on training the new Knights of Hyrule.”

Link just stared at her rather intensely, not sure if this was something she thought of on a whim or something she actually had her mind on for a longer period of time. It didn’t seem too thought out, but he knew better than to just underestimate the Princess like that. As young and inexperienced as she was, she was a great ruler all the same.

“You deserve some time for yourself. Or so, was my thought…”

She turned silent once more, and the knight felt whatever mental connection they had was not elaborate enough to convey his thoughts to her this time. He dragged his hands out from beneath the sheets and held them up in view, thankful the moon was shining as bright as it was or it’d have been utterly useless.

[What if the Calamity returns again?]

A quiet chuckle came from the other bed, Zelda really was quite a difficult book to read sometimes.

“I’ll come drag you out of your sleep all over again.”

[What if I’ll be out of shape?]

Now he was just joking around to take the serious edge of their conversation, and the Hylian Princess knew it all too well. Compared to her, Link was an easy one to read. Some might even consider him an open book.

“Last time you slept a hundred years, that didn’t stop you either.”

[What if I don’t want to?]

“I will whip you back into shape, how’s that sound?”  
  
A grin formed itself on his face, a warning on itself.

[What if I want to join the Yiga clan?]

“Link, I swear to the Godesses. I will buy you all the bananas you could possibly dream of.”

It was quiet.

Apart from the muffled laughter, the two of them having their hands pressed over their mouths. That was until Zelda let out a rather loud, very non-royal snort, and Link burst out laughing at full volume. All to Kodah’s dismay, who walked in not a minute later to, for a lack of a better word, scold ‘Linny’ the way she’d scold a child. Something Zelda apparently considered funny, shaking in place and face buried beneath the sheets.

After a while, the Hylian was glad to see his Princess having fallen asleep eventually. Now all that was left was for him to do the same, or maybe start praying he could do so in the first place.

 

\- - -

With a violent yank on his sheets, Link shot up from his bed, chest heaving rapidly, sweat beading down his forehead and basically any inch of skin he had. His blond hair stuck to his face, his neck, ears sticking out from between the mess, drooped down and twitching lightly.

Another nightmare.

He’s been having them for years now, ever since he awoke from his ‘afternoon nap’ in the Shrine of Resurrection. Though they’ve become more frequent now that he had the time to process things a little, had less to focus on, less to pressure him every day.

All that aside, the peace and quiet was nice.

It had been four months already.

Princess Zelda had actually meant it when she spoke of him taking some time off. As much as he was against it at first, she was very convincing, insisting if she could hold back the Calamity, she could surely take care of herself just fine. And he couldn’t disagree much, she was turning twenty soon after all. Or, a hundred-and-twenty if he’d have to be specific.

Link had spent his time helping around the village, the people of Hateno all but happy to give him some things to do here and there.

Every now and then, he’d take a few days to travel, visiting the friends he’d made across the lands. Now that he wasn’t bound to Zelda and her political visits, he could come and go whenever he pleased.

Well, he’d send out a letter first of course, not wanting to just barge in on anything he had no business with.

Riju had been especially happy to see him again, and had actually managed to have him stay a few days more than he intended. A feat he thought only the Prince of the Zoras mastered perfectly.

Like with everyone else, they spoke of his travels, how Zelda was doing, the basic stuff. Though Riju had always managed to pull the more personal questions out of the closet, and it really started to bug him that he’d have to disappoint her every single time because nothing really changed. Any questions about his relationship status had been disregarded from the get-go, he had made it _that_ clear just how much it mattered to him.

Yunobo was a quick stop on his latest trip to the Rito village, considering he had forgotten his flamebreaker armor. Luckily one of the Gorons from the Southern Mine didn’t mind fetching him, and the Hylian actually ended up having a nice little talk with him before continuing his little trip.

Once he had reached the Rito village, it was no surprise Tulin was the first thing to fly at him. Quite literally as well, the fact Link had managed to catch him was nothing short of a miracle.

Though a lot less energetic than his son, Teba seemed to really enjoy the Hylian’s company as well. It had been quite a while after all. The Rito had actually taken him back up to Vah Medoh one of the days he had spent there, recalling the time they had fought the Divine Beast together as a fond memory. Not because getting shot in the leg was all that great, but it was the day they were finally victorious over the machine. Looking at the positive side of things was a better mindset anyway, or so he concluded.

Though, none of these visits compared to how long he’d spend at the domain.

Like he said, the ability to make him stay longer than he’d intended, seemed something the Zora Prince (or actually _all_ of the Zora people) mastered more than anything.

It’d almost outshine his swimming…

almost.

The longest stay he’s had there was probably about two weeks, which only ended because Zelda’s visit ended up at the end of that second week, and she had requested for him to travel back with her, for old time’s sake.

Of course, he never said no to that. Ever since he’d been back home, he did miss her presence. They often visited one another as well, but it was still something to get used to when you’ve spent about two years at each other’s side constantly.

Prince Sidon however, had been seeing him a lot more. And like Princess Zelda had predicted, he had been getting himself dunked into every lake a lot more often. Again, thanks to his own words, like always. For some reason, it just remained a fun thing to challenge the prince and actually have him take Link up on the challenge. You wouldn’t expect someone of royal lineage to actually throw you into a pool of water like a ragdoll.

Instead of his travels, the blond would tell of the things he’d done around the village. Sometimes about his visits to the other races, describing the places in as much detail as he could possibly recall, knowing Sidon would probably never be able to go to them. For example Death Mountain would turn him into a fish skewer before he could say ‘Goro’.

The one time he had spent that whopping two weeks at the domain, they even gotten to the point where the Prince _insisted_ on having the Hylian spend the night in his quarters, not wanting to end their conversations just yet. All thing aside, it had been a really, REALLY long story.

It was a whole new experience compared to the Seabed Inn he normally stayed at.

They had spent the entire night just talking and having a good laugh every now and then, splayed across a waterbed Link thought he might need a map for with how giant the thing was. Turned out Sidon liked to switch between sleeping submerged and sleeping on a waterbed every so often. Something Link understood all too well, knowing how much he actually enjoyed it to spend a few nights in a different bed from the one at his home.

All the memories of his visits, with everyone, turned out to be nothing but fond ones. Which he could really use in between the reoccurring nightmares.

He hadn’t mentioned them to anyone, not two and a half years ago, and not now. It wasn’t important, it was normal for him to recall the events from back then, it only proved his memory was working properly, right?

It wasn’t until they started to occur every night did the blond actually start to worry a little. He’d spend some days at Purah’s, looking through her library of books for some recipes to help him sleep a little more easily.

Nothing worked.

After three weeks of restless nights started to get to him in a pretty bad way, did he actually go and tell Purah what was going on, figuring she might have a thing or two laying around that might help him.

Her advice;

“Keep your mind occupied.”

She believed if he were to tire himself out, like all the travelling and fighting had done in the past, it’d make it easier for him to fall asleep. Purah assumed the fact his nightmares were getting worse and passing by each night, was because he had nothing to mentally and physically tire him out.

And so he spend his days doing nothing but chores and work, hoping it’d help him get some peace of mind again. He’d even paid another visit to the domain in the hope they’d have some things for him to work on.

It seemed to help somewhat, the nights he spent there, he actually managed to get some good night’s rest in. Even so, Kodah made sure to check on him once in a while. No surprise considering the blue circles underneath his eyes. She had been immensely glad to send him back home with what she referred to as a ‘well-rested face’.

…

He returned to Hateno village in relatively good spirits.

In the month that followed, things went downhill rapidly.

The nightmares had gotten a lot less frequent, to Purah’s joy. But he started to recall certain memories, while awake. Seeing monsters roaming in the forests while there were none. One moment they’d be there, and with the blink of an eye they were gone from sight.

As concerning as it was, he didn’t speak of it. The last thing he needed was for people to think of him like he had lost his mind. Purah had said before that he was just processing all that had happened now that he had the chance to do so, sooner or later it’d stop.

Or so he thought, as he jammed a farming hoe into the soil beneath him rather aggressively. Pulling the weeds out in an attempt to keep his mind from wandering. It was a rather simple job, one he had done so many times, it wouldn’t be surprising if he’d be able to do this in his sleep.

That is, if he could get any.

Even with keeping himself occupied with thoughts of when he had been visiting his friends, positive memories, it wasn’t all that hard for his long ears to miss the telltale crack of a twig not far behind him.

It was even less hard to miss the loud breathing he had come to know quite well, a little too well even. He could hear the quiet swing of a weapon being pulled back, ready to come lunging at him at full force.

His mind went into an overdrive rather instantly. Registering from where the sound was coming, it wasn’t from anywhere above him. Which ruled out Moblins right away, not that that was giving any sort of relief.

It made no sense.

What was a Bokoblin doing here? How hadn’t anyone seen it walk into the village? Why had it searched him out specifically?!

The Hylian would be lying if he said he didn’t break out in a nervous sweat. As if his body was set on an automatic response, he turned around, coming face to face with a snout and that was enough for him to rapidly swing back the farming hoe that was still in his hands, inhaling a deep breath as time almost seemed to slow down.

Wherever the hell it came from was beyond him, but he had no time to think it over as the deep black Bokoblin seemed to ready its own attack, feet sliding across the soil beneath.

All he could think was that this proved it would be hard for Link to get out of shape after all, as his farming hoe swung at the monster at full force. It lifted up an arm in an attempt to defend itself, an attempt to block the attack. Quite futile as the blunt, metal end of the tool slammed into the limb at full force and it let out a loud shriek.

 

…

Wait.

He couldn’t recall Bokoblins making any kind of noise like that.

Their screams were a lot less high-pitched.

A lot more guttural…

A painful sting at the front of his forehead forced him to squeeze his eyes shut. The farming hoe slipped from his fingers as his hands went up to his head, fingers clutching onto blond hair tightly, as if pulling at it would ease the violent throbbing inside his skull.

It subsided after what felt like hours, a low groan passing his lips as he slowly reopened his eyes.

 

_Everything was a blur_ _…_

 

For a moment, the Hylian felt as if the world was coming to a halt.

It made his heart race and stop beating at the same time…

But that was nothing compared to when his vision slowly cleared up, and the faint blur that had been the Bokoblin, disappeared only to have him face-to-face with Koyin, clutching her left arm to her chest and letting out a heart-wrenching whimper.

_The sound of bone shattering upon impact had never sounded so sickening._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To answer some of your questions;
> 
> Yes, this burn will be veeery slow.  
> Yes, I will be doing cliffhangers.  
> and  
> Yes, I am an evil being that makes characters go through a living hell for the sake of story-building and attention.


	2. A mind mixed with reality

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are diving in deeper...  
> I went over this chapter so many times to work out some small kinks, I can almost recite it from memory.  
> With that said, I do hope it is acceptable for y'all (lots of talk in this one, fyi)
> 
> Also, we're gonna have to miss fishprince for a few chapters, but he'll be back asap <3

She certainly had been welcomed with more warmth before, compared to how the villagers seemed rather on edge about her visit now. The Princess wasn’t sure if it was something she did, or if they were nervous about something they had done themselves. Considering they were still treating her with the utmost respect upon arrival, she assumed it was the latter.

Perhaps putting the focus on a different subject would take some of this overhanging tension off, the whole ambiance was rather off-putting.

“The crops are looking good as always. It shows there’s a lot of care put into them.”

Her words were spoken loud enough for all to hear, gentle as she dismounted her horse, giving the white steed a soft pat on the side as her other hand wrapped around the reigns. The knights that had accompanied her followed her lead, which made the Princess turn her head and give them a nod. They could be dismissed until further notice, she needed no protection where she planned to go anyway. The blonde watched them head for the inn, the villagers that were on the path making way for them and Zelda wished she could disregard how they were keeping their heads low and just head for Link’s place.

But, before she’d visit a life-long friend, this awkward ambiance between her and the rest of the village would have to be cleared up.

“… Something seems awry. Can I be so rude as to inquire what it is that bothers you all so?”

Hearing the Princess of Hyrule speak so calmly towards them, seemed to spark some courage in a few, while others just looked down at their feet, seemingly discouraged instead.

“Uhm…”

A young woman.

Zelda recognized her, always swiping a broom across the path in front of the general store. She had been most kind the last time, having provided the Princess with some supplies for their trip back to the Kingdom, free of charge even though Zelda had _insisted_ to pay.

“… could it be that your highness is planning to visit Link?”

Now that was a question she had not expected in the slightest. What did someone else—no… what did _everyone_ else have to do with how she’d spend her time? Zelda rolled her shoulders slightly, feeling a few joints pop as she straightened herself out.

“And what if I am? Is there anything I should be concerned about?”

Her question wasn’t rude in the slightest, but her tone did have the slightest bit of a bite in it. Luckily, the woman, who she now remembered as being called ‘Ivee’, did not seem to take it personally in the slightest. Remaining polite, not even taken aback by the small hint of animosity.

“No, your highness. It is just that… well… no one has seen him around ever since the accident.”

… what?

“Accident…? Please, do elaborate.”

At this, another woman, clearly a lot younger, stepped forward. Zelda noted how her arm was resting in a sling, the arm itself wrapped in bandages together with a wooden splint to keep it from moving in any way.

“My apologies, your majesty. I’m afraid it was my fault. I approached Link during his work, and must have startled him in some way.”

Her head bowed down, out of all the faces, the girl’s had to be the saddest of them all.

The Princess let the reigns slide from her hand. Her mind puzzling it all together, and she liked absolutely none of this. With slow steps, Zelda approached the girl calmly, her face not giving away much emotion until a hand placed itself on Koyin’s shoulder. For a moment, the sheep herder flinched, but quickly relaxed when her eyes met the bright green ones of the Hylian Princess.

“I will have to ask you to be more specific, I’m afraid.”

“Right…”

A minute of silence passed, as Koyin appeared to be thinking of how to put her thoughts into words, before looking back up with a clear spark of determination in her eyes.

“… Link was helping out on the fields about three weeks ago. I had wanted to ask him if he’d want to join me at the beach later that day, I had to check on my sheep and just be away from the village for a little while. Though, I shouldn’t have approached him from the back.”

Zelda’s expression became troubled, her throat contracting and it felt like she couldn’t breathe. It wasn’t because she figured out what had happened, that much was obvious with Koyin’s arm wrapped up the way it was.

No.

Her mind, emotions, every single fiber in her body was going haywire because for the first time in her life, she didn’t know where her knight was. He had always been by her side, and it had already been such a massive change to get used to when she let him go to live his own life.

Knowing he was in Hateno Village, she still had somewhat of a grip on the reigns, figuratively speaking. But now, she had nothing to hold onto. No reigns to hold, no rope to pull him back into her sight, no crumbs to follow. And it left her shaking in fear.

“He swung at me. It wasn’t his fault, it was clear he had no intention of hitting me the way he did. I tried to tell him that, but he ran off before I could get a word out. Once my arm was taken care of, I tried going by his house to make sure he was okay, but it seemed he had already left.”

It took every ounce of effort to not show the intense waves of pure fear washing over her. Like a current that dragged her along, no matter how hard she tried to swim to the shore. But she had to remain the stronger one here, she had to make sure the people were rid of their worries and secure Link’s safety most of all.

If the wrong people got word of his absence, moreover that he was missing, it could pose a danger for the both of them. But mostly to Link, he didn’t have anyone looking out for him now like Zelda had her Knights of Hyrule. The Yiga clan was still out there, and while she was certain Link could handle himself against them, in the back of her mind the worries still gnawed at her.

Once again, she straightened herself and forced a gentle smile onto her lips. The feeling of tears burning at the back of her eyes was something she hadn’t felt in a long while, at least not tears that weren’t out of happiness.

“Not to worry, I’m sure he knows it was just an accident.”

The princess turned back to her horse, grabbing onto the reigns, a lot more tightly compared to before, almost as if she was afraid they’d vanish if she didn’t squeeze them like she did.

“It would explain why he has been acting rather peculiar… Link is actually over at Hyrule Castle right now, I had requested for his assistance around that same time. He must have ran into my messenger on his way home and left right away. You know how he often drops everything when someone asks for his help, I’m sure he didn’t mean to make you all worry.”

They didn’t seem too convinced by her words.

“Then why is Epona still here?”

Asked one of the farmers, crossing his arms in a way Zelda could only assume was a little on the hostile side. She brushed it off with a light laugh, something so fake it made her cringe internally, but the villagers seemed to buy it nonetheless.

“Oh, he can be an airhead sometimes, yes. But surely you all understand that he merely wanted to give Epona her well-deserved rest. After all, what I was asking from him did not require her to be brought along. The sweet thing has been through so many battles with him, he told me once that you all take such good care of her when he’s out for chores. I’m sure he knew you would do the same now.”

She had to cover for him.

She just had to.

Her own worries would come later.

“Then why did your majesty ask what had happened?”

“What task has he been called back for?”

“If he really is at Hyrule Castle, then what do we owe this visit for?”

The questions came rolling in at a rapid speed, and it was getting on her nerves rather quickly. She had no time for this! They just had to buy her shitty lie so she could start thinking of where to start her search!

“I requested his assistance with training a few of the new soldiers. We’ve had quite a lot of new recruits, and I’m afraid my current Captain has his hands a little too full.”

Her eyes looked over the small crowd, making sure to look each and every one of the villagers in the eye at least once as her gaze turned a lot more cold and stern with her next words.

“I merely came by to pick up the belongings he had forgotten in his haste, and hearing the news of some ‘accident’ would spark anyone’s interest, would it not?”

She turned her head to pick out the farmer that had been the first to question her words. Zelda wasn’t one to hold a grudge, but she was one to make sure anyone would know their place, and that they were speaking to someone of a royal lineage, no matter how young and inexperienced she still was.

“Surely, you don’t doubt the truth in the words of your Princess, do you?”

As expected, the ones that accused her of lies, whether verbally or in their thoughts, bowed their heads down once more. A victorious smile played on her lips, her eyes set on the bridge that would lead her to Link’s house.

“My apologies, it had not been my intention to cause confusion with my visit. If it is alright with you all, I will continue what I came here for.”

Not even waiting for a response, the Princess turned towards the bridge, bringing her horse along as she felt eyes staring at her back. As long as she kept her cool, they’d buy it.

As long as she kept her cool.

 

\- - -

 

 

She did _not_ keep her cool…

Far from it actually. The moment the door closed behind her, her eyes befalling on the state of ‘giant mess’ Link’s place was in, Zelda wasn’t sure whether the noise coming from her throat was closer to a gasp or a sob.

Every bit of sound was like she was being submerged in water, muffled beyond recognition.

With careful steps, she walked around the house. Her fingers traced over the table, finding it covered in a thin layer of dust. It was obvious he hadn’t been here a while, and even more obvious he left in quite the hurry. Checking on the weapons, it seemed to be that Link had barely taken anything with him as a matter of self-defense. Not to even start on the many armor sets that were still neatly stacked away in their drawers.

The paraglider not being anywhere in sight also didn’t spell much good, it just enlarged the area of where he could have gone.

The Princess went over every inch of the house, cleaning up a bit of the mess while she did. The hope of finding any sort of hint as to where he’d be heading for sank so low, it might as well be heading for the bottom of the deepest abyss.

It wasn’t until she sat down on the bed, did her eyes catch a glimpse of the amount of grooves in the wood, deep cuts all seeming to be from nails scratching across the furniture. It didn’t take a genius to figure out who was responsible for that.

It also didn’t take a genius to figure out Zelda’s heart rammed itself up into her throat, before falling down into a pitch black pit of nothing. She had never felt this hopeless, not even when she had been so desperately trying to reach her dormant powers.

Vision turning blurry, she brought her hands up to eye-level, noting how terribly they were shaking. The longer she looked at them, the worse it got, and the louder some faintly familiar sound became along with it.

A very audible, guttural gasp of breath, and the Princess managed to pinpoint the sound as being her own crying. The fact her vision had been blurred being the cause of her own tears. It all felt so distant, as if this wasn’t real, and she wished it really wasn’t.

After a good round of throwing something along the lines of a mini-tantrum, Zelda took a deep breath and carefully wiped her eyes. Quickly grabbing a bag and just tossing in some random things, if only to make her story even more believable to the villagers.

Going through the drawers with clothing, her hands stumbled upon the two sets of the Gerudo Vai outfit that were stored in there.

She could still clearly remember how Link had offered her the white one before they’d be heading for Gerudo Town, considering the heat was too much to just waltz in wearing her regular attire. Of course, Zelda couldn’t help but to ask him why he even had two sets in the first place. The only answer she had ever gotten out of him on that, was that it was ‘just collector reasons’.

As much as he’d deny it, Zelda knew very well he had intended it to be for her. The idea that Link had planned to go with her to all these places he’s visited, back at that time it had brought an immensely bright smile to her face.

Now…

Right now, it only made a saddened frown appear.

Even so, she grabbed the white set and shoved it into the bag as well. Her fingers dragged across the thin fabric of the veil a little longer before putting it away, feeling how it made her eyes sting with tears all over again, and by the goddesses did she hate crying.

 

 

Blinking her eyes a few times, her mind was set back to the task at hand. If she was going to be looking for Link, she might as well look everywhere.

The only place she could exclude right now was Goron City.

With the Flamebreaker armor still sitting around here, there was no way he’d be anywhere near there. Unless someone out there had one on hand for him, but considering all she had just been told, the Princess was pretty sure that he wasn’t planning on approaching anyone anytime soon.

One last sigh, a last round around Link’s garden to stock up some apples and make that bag seem even more filled up, and a last pat on Epona’s sweet, little nose before she was off once more. But not before Ivee noticed her passing by and decided to show her concern.

“Your highness, is everything alright?!”

Zelda figured her little breakdown from before was probably still showing on her face. Once again, she just laughed it off and waved her hand at the woman a bit as to assure her all was okay. Even if it was not.

“All is fine! Link his place just became rather dusty during his absence. To be honest, I am amazed my horse is not envious of how much I was sneezing in the past half hour.”

At that, Ivee let out a laugh of herself and nodded in understanding.

“Very well. I will make sure to help him out with that upon his return! Please do stop by the store before your departure, we’ll gladly provide you with the necessary supplies for the trip back.”

“As kind as your gesture is, I am afraid I, myself, will have to pass. I have a few more things to take care of before I return to the Castle. But please do make sure my knights are well-equipped and supplied, if you would please.”

Ivee just gave her another nod and a subtle bow before continuing her daily task.

Following the path leading through the village, Zelda stopped at the Inn momentarily to inform the two knights that had accompanied her of the change of plans. They were reluctant to leave her by herself, However, she insisted that she could take care of herself just fine. Well… she had to bring up sealing the Calamity for a hundred years before they’d back down, as always.

After that was cleared up, the path led up the mountain and brought her straight to where she needed to be; the Hateno Ancient Tech Lab.

For a second, the Princess thought of knocking and waiting until either of the two ‘residents’ would open the door.

That thought went flying out the window when her brain found it handy to remind her Link had been off to who knows where for three weeks, and no one had bothered to inform her in the slightest.

With a loud slam, she stormed into the building, startling both Symin as well as Purah, who just barely kept her balance on the seat she had been occupying for most of the day. Even so, it didn’t look like she felt intimidated enough to not bring up that childish smile and turn on her seat to face Zelda directly.

“Princess Zelda! It’s been a while!”

The enthusiasm might as well have been a brick to the face, because it felt exactly like one.

“Care to enlighten me why no one thought it necessary to inform me Link is missing?!”

This time, it definitely was intended to sound hostile, and there was not a single thing about her stature or tone of voice that tried to mask that up. To say she was angry, was an understatement.

“Would you believe it if I say that Purah felt it was unneeded to cause you any worries?”

Symin decided to step in, feeling like if he let Purah handle this on her own, either one of the two women would end up blowing a fuse rather soon. Or in the worst case, both of them would.

“So me finding it out on my own is the better option here?! I just had to convince an entire village that he is at the Castle and I merely came by to pick up some stuff of his! If word goes out he has run off somewhere, you know what kind of people go after his head!”

One could just imagine the steam coming out of the Princess’ ears.

Purah, surprisingly, kept her cool during the Hylian Princess’ outburst, just softly tapping her finger on the table, papers and blue prints scattered everywhere. Link’s house was a freshly cleaned palace compared to this mess.

“Princess, I do think you are wise enough to not pin me down as the villain here. To be fair with you, I had assumed Link would have returned around this time, as he always does. He comes and goes without much of a word quite often, though, in this case he just ‘goes’.”

If anyone were to ask Purah if it was hard not to laugh at her own words, even considering the situation, she’d have responded with a solid ‘yes’. The scientist cleared her throat for a moment before continuing on.

“The only reason I hadn’t informed you, was because by the time we realized his return was taking rather long, your bi-monthly visit was only a mere day away. Though, now that I think of it, maybe it would have been a good idea to await your arrival at the gate…”

The fact the researcher remained so calm, made Zelda put down her figurative Warhammer as well. A deep sigh as she walked over to sit next to Purah, placing her elbows on the table and holding her head in her hands as she grumbled a little.

“I am so sorry, Purah. I just--- I do not know what to do. I have never had to worry about where he could be, I always knew he was nearby whether I could see him or not. And now…”

The Princess squeezed her eyes shut tightly, feeling her eyes beginning to sting again but no longer having any tears to spill.

“… What happened to him? His bed looked like he had made an attempt to claw it apart with his bare hands… you have to tell me… just how bad of a state is he really in..?”

At this, Purah lowered her head, playing with one of her pens as if to avoid having to answer that. But with a reluctant sigh, the white-haired child turned to the Princess again. There was a scowl on her face, insecurity very evident in her eyes, and all together it spelled no good news for Zelda.

“He said he’d been having nightmares for quite a long time, but I figured that wasn’t anything new. It was about three month ago that he came to me, very obviously sleep-deprived, said he wasn’t sleeping all that well. Poor thing had obviously been too shaken to get some proper rest, so I tried giving him some elixirs that might help.”

She pointed at a cabinet that held a relatively large number of vials with what could only be taken as the ‘elixirs’ she spoke of.

“It did nothing. So we tried to just keep him occupied, tire him out. After all, someone who used to battle monsters and be on the road 24/7, some simple chores wouldn’t be enough to get his energy down. However, I found it better not to tell him this, we both know how he is with accepting help from people when it regards one of his own problems.”

A frustrated sigh came from the blonde. She knew all too well that when Link was having some trouble of his own, getting him to spill the beans was already a task equivalent to taking on a Lynel. It was more frustrating to ask and get no answer, than it was to just worry from a distance and maybe help from the sidelines a little. The knight had always been set on solving his own things by himself.

“…And, did it work?”

“It did. For the first time in a long while, I saw no bags and instead of that, actually saw a genuine smile. It felt quite nice. Until we got the news he had attacked Koyin and broke her arm, after which no one had seen him again, nor could anyone find him in the area. We decided to wait, not wanting word to get out right away and have him return by himself two weeks later or so.”

A silence fell. You could probably hear a feather falling down with how quiet it suddenly was. Symin had taken his distance again, minding his own business but still obviously staying alert in case it was necessary for him to step in.

“… Do you have any idea what could have happened…?”

Zelda’s voice was barely audible, sounding more weak than it had ever before. Somehow, just that made the Sheikah’s heart tighten. She wasn’t sure on how to word her theory in a positive way either.

“… My hunch is that his nightmares have started meddling with his perception of the world around him. Like how he mentioned that he’d recall memories when passing by the same location. It would seem the only logical explanation as to why he’d swing a farming tool at someone, we all know the only thing he would respond to in such a way, are monsters and the likes. The sound of footsteps might’ve triggered a memory.”

“… Purah. Are you very certain of this…?”

“My Princess, do you have any other logical explanation?”

The Hylian’s head dropped, eyes settling on the floorboards beneath as she tried to process what Purah had just carefully worded for her. It was even worse than what her own mind could’ve come up with for an explanation.

_His memories were mixing in with reality._

This was bad.

“I have to go tell Impa.”

Zelda immediately reached for the Sheikah Slate hanging from the belt around her hips, and Purah suddenly jumped up in joy.

“Ooh! Can I pleeeease come along?”

The Princess quirked an eyebrow at her, the sudden enthusiasm being a little surprising, but then again even after a good two and a half years, she still was a kid. From the corner of her eye, she could swear she saw Symin rolling his eyes at the sudden spike in the female’s voice.

“I’ve always wanted to experience the travelling mechanics of the Slate for myself! Plus, you’ll want me there to explain any and all of Link’s behavior the past few months to my sister. It’s not like anyone else paid much attention to his state of being aside from me and Symin.”

As much as she hated it, the ‘child’ was right.

“Fine then. But I am bringing you back right after.”

“Snap! It’s a deal!”

 

\- - -

 

 

Seeing Paya again was one of the few positive things about this day. She had grown into such a kindhearted woman over the past years, it was hard to believe she used to be as shy as she was. She now carried herself with confidence. It was clear as day she was related to Impa the way she was now.

But for Zelda, no one could ever compare to Impa.

The woman was like a grandmother to her, always there to listen when she needed it, always a shoulder to cry on. And she really needed it this time.

Impa was lightly caught off guard to hear the doors open and see the Princess walking in, not having expected her arrival until a few days from now. Zelda would always stay at Link’s for a day or two before coming over, the elderly woman couldn’t help but wonder if anything had happened to make her change schedule like this.

The moment their eyes locked, Impa was more than sure something was very, VERY wrong. If Zelda’s puffy eyes and trembling form were anything to go by. The Sheikah said nothing and just spread her arms wide, an open invitation the Hylian Princess would never pass up on.

As Paya closed the door behind them, Zelda nearly ran towards Impa, falling on her knees in front of the elder In order to wrap her own arms around the woman’s smaller form. Her frame shook a little, and she’d definitely be shedding a tear or two if her eyes weren’t feeling more dry than the Gerudo Desert.

Purah just stayed put, looking Paya over in curiosity and giving her a little smile.

As the Princess calmed down again, Impa carefully pushed her back enough to look into her emerald green eyes. The elder woman brushed aside a few strands of her blonde hair, tucking them behind her ear and running the same hand along her face before placing both of them back on her lap.

“What troubles you, child?”

The way Impa would drop all formalities with her like this, really gave Zelda the feeling she was being heard as a friend instead of as a Princess. It conveyed the elder’s concern so much more, and she almost wanted to just plant herself in those arms again for a little longer.

“I do not know where to start, Impa. It is all so messed up.”

At this, Purah cleared her throat and stepped forward. The sudden noise startling Paya as she let out a small squeak, but remained still in every way. The sound had the researcher stifle a giggle, turning to face her younger sister and trying to look as serious as she could possibly manage.

“If you’ll allow me, Princess. I’ll gladly clear things up in your stead.”

With the slightest nod from the blonde, Purah moved forward until she was standing almost next to Zelda. Impa gave her a skeptical look and pursed her lips before speaking up first.

“Don’t go telling me Link ended up as your latest guinea pig.”

“Oh nonsense! He’s still young, he doesn’t need his age reversed just yet. But if you ever feel like taking a few years off, my offer still stands~”

“This is not the time, Purah.”

“Right, right. Eherm…”

The entire time that the ‘oldest’ of the sisters explained the situation, the Princess just stared at her own hands, squeezing at her legs softly. She was very certain that even if she only caught a glimpse of Impa’s face during all that, she’d not be able to keep herself together. She fiddled with her fingers, just listening to the two of them talking, trying to figure out her next step from here on out.

“I see.”

Both sisters fell silent for a moment. Purah having told her story, Impa seemingly deep in thought before taking a deep breath and looking at both her older sister as well as their future Queen.

“What I’m seeing in all this, is that the Hero has always had a certain goal to keep his mind occupied;  saving Hyrule, rebuilding the Kingdom, training the new Knights of Hyrule. By setting him free from his duty, you have taken that from him and he is left with no goal but one he has to set for himself. Which is a lot to ask from someone who has never had that freedom.”

Zelda looked up at her, giving a confused look as her head tilted slightly. Surely, she knew very well that she was letting him decide his own future the moment she gave him that freedom. But what did it have to do with the way his mind was turning against him now?

“I do not think I fully understand what the connection is between this and Link’s state of mind.”

Impa merely gave a nod, supposedly already expecting her to need some further explanation.

Even Purah was silent now, listening to her younger sister’s view on the whole ordeal.

“Link has been suppressing a great deal of things for the sake of his goals. The recalling of his memories was limited due to this, only letting through the ones that had a certain connection with his goal of freeing the Divine Beasts and defeating the Calamity back then. I don’t think we have to even start on his lack of emotion to, shortly put, everything.”

It was almost comical how everyone in the room, even Paya, gave a stern nod at those words.

“My guess is, that now that he is ‘relieved from duty’, so to speak. Everything that he felt necessary to suppress is coming at him at full force. Emotions, other memories, all that his mind unconsciously blocked out, for a lack of better words. It wouldn’t be such a bad thing if he didn’t go through, I don’t even know how many near-death experiences. It could be even worse if the fear he repressed during the moment itself, is overpowering him in the memory of that exact same moment, now that it is technically okay for him to rely on his emotions.”

Silence.

Both Zelda and Purah looked at one another, astonished that someone like Impa could get a read on people to such an extent. Of course, her words were only assumptions and in no way were a definite truth. Nor had Purah’s been. But it fit in the scenario perfectly, and sounded almost too good to be wrong.

“I am surprised you seem to know him so well, if I may say so.”

Impa just gave the Hylian a soft smile, shrugging her shoulders ever so slightly.

“What can I say? He came by quite often. And he isn’t that difficult to read, just hard to understand.”

At that, Paya let out a soft hum in agreement. Recalling the time the Hero had gotten back to the subject of her birthmark time and time again until her grandmother decided to just let him in on the knowledge so he would STOP asking.

A moment Paya had noted as one of the most embarrassing conversations in her life.

The Hylian Champion really was hard to understand.

Zelda returned the smile given to her, reaching out her hands to grab a hold of Impa’s and bowing her head in nothing less than her utmost gratitude.

“Thank you, Impa. It might or might not be as we predict it, but this all does give me a clear idea of how to approach the situation from this point on.”

The elderly woman just patted the young Princess’ hands softly and soon after removed her own from the blonde’s grasp. To which Zelda stood up, carefully rubbing the few wrinkles out of her pants before turning her gaze to Purah.

“As said, I will be returning you to the Ancient Tech Lab.”

“Are you sure you don’t need any assistance in your search, my Princess?”

Impa spoke before her sister had the chance to. And for the first time that day, Zelda gave them a genuine smile, one that somehow put everyone’s hearts at ease and guaranteed that she would make everything all right again.

“He came for me when I needed him, with nothing but a device unknown to him at the time, not even the slightest memory. It is my turn to help him now, and that path will be mine and mine alone to travel.”

She shooed the smaller researcher to the door, who reluctantly did as she was told, opening it for the both of them and enjoying the soft breeze that went through the room. It had been hard to breathe in there with all the tension, and she wasn’t sure if it really was the breeze that was so relaxing, or the sudden change in the Princess’ character.

“… Though I do not want any of you spending your precious time on searching for him, or sending out anyone to do so in your stead, I would greatly appreciate it if I could be notified should anyone spot him in the nearby vicinity.”

Her words were strong.

And therefore no one dared to go against them.

A little over two years ago, Link had set her free from the chains she had willingly trapped herself in. Freed her from the monster that kept her from moving forward.

It was her turn to free him from his monsters.

So he could move forward.

So he could live his life.

Whether he wanted her help or not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Zelda, and it makes me so anxious when writing her because honestly, I wanna do her justice so bad!


	3. A nice wake-up whistle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just in time still for Valentine's Day~!  
> Now with this one I went a little over my usual amount of words, but I like it so maybe more of these massive beast-chapters are in order??  
> Anyway, there was a lot of ground I wanted to cover in this chapter. So if it seems like a lot, it is...  
> With that said, I do hope you enjoy me making fictional characters suffer~ <3

To say it is bone-chilling when one can’t trust their own eyes anymore, that wouldn’t even begin to describe the slightest bit of it.

It’s more than terrifying.

It’s so much more, that fact on itself is enough to induce fear.

There’s no telling what is real and what is not. The tricks the mind plays on you, as if what you see and hear really is there. You can’t be sure whether it is something your mind brought into vision, or if it is actually existing. There’s no telling the difference.

There’s no closing your eyes.

There’s no covering your ears.

It doesn’t make them disappear. It doesn’t make it any less real, doesn’t make it any less frightening. If anything, closing your eyes makes it worse. Because everything just goes black, except for that one thing you’d want to vanish most of all. There’s nothing else to focus on, and that makes it so, SO much more intense.

How much longer until these fragments would consume reality all together?

 

\- - -

 

Chest heaving rapidly, the back of his hand covering his forehead as well as his eyes, the blond tried to catch his breath after running what felt like ages.

Considering a Stone Talus was known to reside somewhere in the area, the Hylian had deemed it safe for him to take a break there without anyone chasing his tail. Having climbed up in a tree to be out of sight, Link was sure if he had kept running for even a minute longer, he’d have regurgitated whatever had been left of his breakfast from this morning.

The sun was low in the sky, and it dawned on him that he’d be spending the night in a tree again for the first time in who knows how many months. It’d make him laugh if that wasn’t so damn painful on his lungs.

The blond propped himself up against the tree a little more, trying his best to calm down, just enough to ensure he wouldn’t start spitting out stomach acid would be more than enough.

A glance at the steep wall of rock that’d lead up to the Nirvata Plateau, there was no way he could muster up the energy to climb that after the insane sprint he’d made to get here. But no doubt he’d be tackling that problem by the time the sun would rise, as staying here, even with that Stone Talus posing a risk, would just make him an easy find if anyone would come looking for him.

Especially if it were Zelda that’d come looking for him.

It felt weird to keep himself away from others.

Sure, he’d spent days, sometimes even weeks out here on his own. But there’d always be a traveler passing by every now and then that’d keep him among the people a little. Now he was to avoid that, and it honestly couldn’t be described any better than ‘being weird’.

Maybe letting someone in on the joke that was this entire situation wouldn’t have been so bad. But on the other hand, he just couldn’t trust himself to be around anyone when he couldn’t trust his own senses. Not to mention, he preferred dealing with whatever life tossed at him, by himself.

This whole ordeal was probably the biggest spoof the world could’ve pulled on him right now.

Whenever he was out on the road, trusting people was a thing you just wanted to be very careful with. The Yiga Clan, sparse as they may be, were still out there. And Link soon enough learned, during an encounter with one, that along with pissing them off, he had also made them very, VERY desperate.

Turns out, they actually get pretty smart and strategical when desperate.

Either way, they had lost.

But unlike attacking him the moment they’d see him, this time one of them posed as a Hylian in need of help, luring him straight into an ambush. The numbers weren’t high enough to be absolutely life-threatening, but the Hylian Champion certainly hadn’t come out of that unscathed.

The blond winced a little at the memory of pulling that arrow from his leg, it had not been his day back then. And it surely wasn’t his day today either.

Actually.

He was pretty sure it wouldn’t be his day for a while. Maybe not even his week, or his month. There was no telling how long it’d take for his mind to just stop recalling unnecessary things and get over it, it wasn’t like there was an ‘off’ button for it either.

With a long, exhausted sigh, the blond draped himself across the widest, most sturdy part of the tree branch he’d been sitting on for a while now. The sun had almost set entirely, and with it, Link’s ability to stay awake sank further down as well.

Closing his eyes, intending for it to be just for a moment, the Hylian drifted off to sleep almost instantly.

 

\- - -

 

 

As fast as he had fallen asleep, so was his awakening.

The dream had felt so real. He could feel the bark beneath his fingertips, the breeze rustling the leaves and blowing a few strands of his hair into his face. It had been a rather nice feeling, until he opened his eyes, the world gaining color slowly. Or well, one color mostly, as a giant blob of dark grey came flying at him rapidly and yanked him out of his sleep rather roughly.

His subconscious was obviously very excited to remind him of the Stone Talus that wandered around here.

As if the initial shock hadn’t been enough, fate decided to really let him have it and make his balance vanish into thin air, causing the blond to not-so-gracefully tumble down to the grass fields below.

The wake up call had been rude.

But not as rude as the boar that he, apparently, startled. To which the beast decided to just fuck his day over even more, and ram him at full speed.

And the sun hadn’t even fully risen yet.

A painful stinging emerging from his ribcage, Link slowly dragged himself up onto his feet again, thankful the tree he had spent the night in hadn’t decided to turn against him yet as he leaned on it. After a few deep breaths, the pain subsided enough for him to move around with only some minor discomfort, and the Hylian dragged his feet across the field, heading for the nearby lake to wash his face.

The water felt a whole lot better than the double body slam he had to be woken up with.

It was refreshing to be able to wash off the sweat from the day before, even if it was only his face.

Untying the flask from his belt, Link screwed the lid off and held the bag in the water, long enough to fill it ‘till it was about three quarters full. Deciding that’d be enough for now, the lid was screwed back on and just as he was about to get up, blue eyes saw movement from the corner and instantly focused on it.

A fish.

Well, it couldn’t hurt to stock up on food a little, right?  He’d have something to look forward to once he’d have climbed his way up to the Nirvata Plateau.

And it was in the next few seconds, the hero realized how this day would be going down.

Fate really was trying to fuck him up today…

Because the moment the Hylian grabbed a hold of his right foot, ready to take his boots off and hopefully catch some fish, a giant shadow shot across the water. The blond barely had enough time to look up, slam his foot back down and jump to the side, barely escaping the giant boulder that crashed into the ground right where he had been standing mere seconds ago.

A look in the direction of where it came from, and he could just _feel_ all the color leaving his face.

He had entirely forgotten about that Stone Talus for a moment, hadn’t even noticed it lurking on the other side of the lake. If only it was the same way for the giant, walking rock.

Mentally cussing at himself, Link made a rapid sprint back to his tree, pulling himself up on the branches until he could reach his bag, and then dropped himself back down onto solid ground. Whether he wanted it or not, it was time to climb that damned rock wall up to safety, because in no way had he stocked up enough to take down a Stone Talus.

Luckily, they weren’t all that fast.

Unluckily, their aim wasn’t something to laugh at, unlike a Bokoblin’s joke of a throw.

With a newfound adrenaline rush, the Hylian took a jumping start and pulled himself up on the rocks, thanking the goddesses he had climbed his way up here many times before. Even so, feeling the rough texture scraping over his fingers had been something he hadn’t felt in a while, surely he’d be getting used to it again soon enough.

A glance behind him showed the Talus readying itself to toss another death-pebble his way, which made Link decide to just yank himself up a few feet at a time, until his hand grasped at the edge of the cliff.

How he had pulled himself up so quickly, there was no way to explain it. But surely, the violent collision of stone against stone right underneath the tips of his toes had something to do with it.

Laying on his back, feeling the grass tickling at his skin, Link had a déjà vu to the night before. When he had been equally as out of breath, and equally as spooked as he felt now.

A small part of him wanted to just roll over to the edge and toss whatever small pebble he could get his hands on to the giant pebble down below. A bigger part of him screamed to not risk falling off like he already had done once before.

In the end, Link settled for just laying still and watching the sun rise.

 

\- - -

 

 

He had gotten to enjoy the sun for little more than an hour, before clouds decided to block each and every bit of warmth. Because when your day is already going this bad, it can, apparently, only get worse.

It was at this time he was glad he had brought his cloak. Hylian clothing wasn’t cold, per say, but it certainly wasn’t warm when he was up a little higher now.

A drop of water hit the skin of his hands, and with an annoyed groan, Link went to search for a proper, sturdy tree. Pulling out his paraglider, the blond unfolded it and tied it to the thickest branches he could find, creating somewhat a shelter for the rain. It was only mere minutes before the rainfall turned for the worse, the Hylian propped up on a branch right underneath where his paraglider was bound to the tree.

After a bit of shifting to get comfortable, the blond pulled his bag onto his lap, digging through it until his hand got a hold on what he had been searching for.

Bless himself for having tossed some baked apples into his bag, with how hastily he had packed up and left, Link was surprised he had thought about taking food with him at all.

Taking the apple between his teeth and holding it there, his hands moved to his back, carefully unstrapping the quiver that hung off one of the belts going across his back. He carefully moved his bag to hang it on a small branch sticking out of the tree right next to him, taking the quiver in his lap, counting his arrows with his left hand as his right took a hold of the apple again.

You know you’re hungry when you finish an apple before you finish counting thirty-five arrows.

Looking at the edge of the cliff, Link tossed the remains of the apple at it violently. If only out of spite for the fucker that had ruined his morning at the bottom of that steep wall. It was a good thing he didn’t act on his anger that fast anymore, or he’d have made an attempt to maul the damn thing with only these thirty-five arrows and two soldier’s broadswords to his name.

The image of himself attempting to beat the thing to a pulp with a shield passed through his mind, and for the first time in the past week he let out a quiet laugh.

At least he could still humor himself. Seemed the goddesses weren’t as cruel as to take that from him.

He sat there for quite a while, the rain not letting up and after an hour or two, counting arrows had become insufferable as well. By now, he had gone through all of his baked apples, if only out of pure and utter boredom.

Maybe he should just get a nap in, he was high enough off the ground to not have anything slam him out of it as long as it wasn’t bigger than 5’1”.

As soon as he shifted to get a little more comfy, a sharp pain went through his ribs again. Reminding him that he got his ass kicked by both a tree and a boar that morning, great for his self-esteem, definitely.

The blond carefully rolled up his shirt, enough to peek underneath the cloth at the spot where the pain was at its worst. His blue eyes landed on what could only be described as a giant fucking bruise in the making across his ribs.

This time, the Hylian cussed out loud. Curiosity got the best of him, and he ran his fingertips over it only to cuss even louder. Okay, so touching it was a definite no-go.

With a defeated sigh, he pulled the shirt back down and just carefully tried to shift his position a little, noticing how his legs were starting to fall asleep the way he had been sitting before.

Looking around first, checking if the area wasn’t going to pose any danger to him, the Hylian Champion dangled his legs over the sides of the branch, feeling like allowing blood to go to his legs was a wise option. That way, _if_ anything decided to show up out of nowhere, at least he’d be able to run on his legs and not _crawl_ across a wet field of grass.

 

-

 

The small nap had actually done him a whole ton of good. No nightmares for once, he was feeling a lot more well-rested now. The bruise that was forming over his ribcage still hurt like a motherfucker, but it could’ve been worse.

By the time the rain let up, Link all but jumped from the tree in joy. Of course, not before he had untied his paraglider, shaking the water off before folding it and sticking it between the belts on his back.

Now that he had the chance to walk around without getting soaked, the Hylian passed by the few trees that were around, picking any food resources he could manage to find. After that was done, it was time to make due on that promise to himself, and go catch some fish. It was a good thing the Nirvata Lake existed of both a body of water at the bottom, as well as the top.

Though, he might not want to try and catch anything close to that waterfall, unless he’d want to be reunited with his friend down at the bottom of that death-drop.

His left hand grabbing a hold of the bow on his back, the right found the tail of one of the arrows that were in his quiver. Thirty-five, he knew very precisely how many he had by now. The Hylian Champion stopped in his tracks once he was far off enough from the waterfall, eyes going over the water before focusing on their target.

His boots dragged across the gravel loudly, feet being shoulder-width apart as the blond drew his bow, aiming it at the soft hint of green he followed throughout the water. With a slow exhale of breath, his fingers let go of the arrow, the string sending it flying at a rapid speed and hitting the target perfectly in the middle.

With the tiniest of smiles playing on his lips, Link pushed his boots off with his toes and waded through the water to fetch his first catch. The fish was tossed onto the river bank, whereas the arrow lined up with the string of the bow once more, the next target already in sight.

It went on like that until five, lifeless fish were laying at the side of the river.

Link just sat next to the small pile for a little, feet still dangling it the water as the cool temperature felt rather nice against his skin. He let himself fall backwards until his back connected with the still damp grass, once again thankful he was wearing his cloak as it kept his clothes from getting soaked.

Skygazing hadn’t been something he’d made the time for lately, trying to keep himself busy any moment of the day, which everyone made to be a simple task by asking for his help almost constantly. Surely, when he was exhausted he slept a little better, but it didn’t seem like it had done him any good in the long run. Now he just had nightmares while he was awake.

For a moment.

He’d just close his eyes for a little moment, it wasn’t smart to light a fire and start roasting any fish during daylight anyway. The smoke would just be like him screaming ‘hey, I’m over here!’. Best wait a little while, the sky was almost clear of clouds so there most likely wouldn’t be anymore rain for the day.

‘Be careful, Link.’

 

 

Zelda’s voice ringed in his ears loudly, with words so familiar, his eyes flew open rapidly only to be met with the sky painted in a crimson red hue. The moon was definitely a lot larger, and he could vaguely see particles of a glowing red and black dancing around his vision. The sight made every muscle in his body contract, a cold sweat breaking out at the back of his neck as he pushed his back off of the ground, leaning up on his elbows.

The second the blond blinked again, the sky had turned back to a normal blue, light hints of purple at the horizon, hinting the sun had started to set ever so slowly.

That same headache from before was making its way through the inside of his skull again, the feeling sending a few intense shivers down his spine. Just like before, the pain eventually faded as fast as it had made itself present.

Link noticed how he was unconsciously holding his breath, slowly letting the air back out from between his lips and nervously darting his eyes around. The Hylian sat up straight, inspecting the area behind him as well before deeming it free from anything that could stab him in the back.

A loud groan, one hand covering his face, the other placed on his knee, feet dragged out of the water stream long ago.

What in the hell was going on with him?

More importantly, how in the hell was he supposed to fix this?

 

\- - -

 

 

Another five nights were spent on the Nirvata Plateau.

Turns out, you feel bruises a lot more from the second day onward.

If he was to listen to his body, he’d have stayed there even longer, because it was not happy about him moving around. But instead, he chose to listen to his mind.

Eventually people would be coming to the area, Stone Talus or not, and to add to that the rain season was only going to get worse in the oncoming days. One thing he had learned about three years back, was that you don’t want to move around a steep mountainside during the worst of that rain season.

The thought of the winter season following suit soon after, surely already made chills run up his spine.

Cold and rain were two things that just didn’t make staying in a mountainous area work.

Unless you were aiming to freeze yourself to death.

So, the blond had reluctantly gotten out of his tree. One he had come to call his temporary bed over the past days, for a tree it wasn’t all that uncomfortable, he’d give it that much.

Getting his stuff together, having made sure to stock up on food and water before he’d go any further, the Hylian watched the sun looming over the mountains. It surely was a sight to see, but not for long unless he’d want to continue the journey without _any_ eyesight.

Swinging the bag over his shoulder, Link gave the belts strapped across his chest a small tug, wincing as they pressed on the bruised skin a little.

He tried to stay on flat-level ground as much as possible, finding himself not needing to grab onto anything just yet. That was until he was getting closer to the edge of the mountain that’d lead down to Lanayru Road. The area was windy, there wasn’t much for Link’s boots to keep a grip on by themselves. After a few daring steps without support, the blond decided falling to his death here was not the best story for the history books.

Just to be a little more on the safe side, he brought his hands to the stone walls next to him, fingers slipping into grooves when they could as to give him something to hold on to.

Luckily, it didn’t take too long before he safely reached the one ledge that was just a perfect point to jump from and paraglide the way over the fissure. So without any moment of hesitation, the paraglider was brought out and unfolded, the wind already trying to snatch it out of his hands, but the blond had been well-prepared for that.

He waited for the harsh breeze to settle down a little more, before taking a running start as his feet pushed him off the edge, the paraglider unfolding and carrying him over to the other side. Which proved a challenge with the random gusts of wind blowing him further to the right, away from where he had initially planned to land.

In the end, he had landed at an even better spot.

A flat area, with a ledge sticking out a little above where he was standing now. And the timing couldn’t have been better, because another downpour hit the area out of nowhere within the following two minutes.

For once, he had lucked out.

Had he landed on the other spot, he’d either be getting soaked, or sliding his way down to impending doom trying to get to where he was sitting right now.

The blond watched water streaming down the hills mere centimeters in front of his feet, finding it to be like some sort of a water curtain, seeing some humor in the way it was screening him off from the world.

He was also glad he stocked up on food and water again, because even if this rain let up in a minute or two, there was no way he’d be trying to cross the mountain while it was more slippery than a patch of ice.

During long rainstorms like these, he couldn’t help but be reminded of the time Vah Ruta had caused a continuous downpour over Zora’s Domain. Getting up there, everything wet and slippery and trying to murder him in about every possible way, sure had been the sarcastic-toned version of ‘fun’.

Nevertheless, he didn’t regret having done so. The zoras had managed to help him regain some memories more than anyone else.

If only they could help him forget memories as well.

A sigh, shaking his head violently as to banish thoughts like that from his mind. It was already screwing his grip on reality over more than enough, he didn’t need it to start ruining his entire mood as well.

It would’ve just been great that when you tell yourself to stop thinking negative things, you’d actually do it. Some things just don’t go that easily.

As the sun was already setting again, it started to dawn on him this whole rain ordeal might just slow him down more than he’d hoped for. But, at least he had made it to the other side before it hit, nothing more he could do about it now than wait. The only other option was to run out and hope for the best the rocks had enough grip to them even during a downpour like this.

 

All was quiet for a while, until a blue glow caught his attention from the corner of his eye, a soft and quiet cry echoing off the cliffs. Figuring out where it both came from wasn’t much of a puzzle, and the rain wasn’t much of a threat to keep him from sticking his head out from beneath the ledge.

The hero had to squint his eyes a little to keep the waterdrops from obscuring his vision instantly. His hair was soaked within seconds, the drops running down his neck into the back of his shirt. It was all worth it, seeing Naydra make her usual patrol over the area, a sight he wouldn’t miss for the world.

For just a few minutes, all that was troubling his mind got washed away with the rain, and he could only stare wide-eyed in amazement at the dragon passing by above him. Lips curled up in a smile, Link brought up a hand to brush the hair out of his face, every strand sticking to his skin, but he didn’t care much. At least his hair was somewhat washed now, right?

As soon as Naydra disappeared from sight, the blond sat back underneath his little, stone roof. With a simple pull, he yanked his hair tie loose, slipping it over his hand to have it dangle on his wrist, and let out a happy sigh for once. He hadn’t been out here for such a long time, it felt like ages since he’d seen any of the dragons making their rounds.

It was more than late now, but with how much he had slept the night before and the little travel he had gotten through today, fatigue was something non-existing.

The blond clicked his tongue, grabbing for his small bag once again. This time, it wasn’t food that he pulled out though. One hand wrapped around a small, worn-out book, his other searched for an even tinier bag filled with charcoal sticks. A mental ‘thank you’ note was in order, for the fact that he had been too lazy to take the booklet out every time he’d return home from his travels.

If he was going to be seeing things he didn’t want to see at every turn, he might as well just make sure everything he _did_ like to see was set in stone… or, ‘paper’ in this case.

Knees pulled towards him to serve as a surface he could place the small book on, fingers flipped the pages, going over a few recipes he’d noted down a while ago, the last being of his visit to Lurelin village. Once they landed on an empty page, the charcoal was put against the paper gently, sliding across and leaving light, sketchy lines. Link silently thanked the Goddesses that the moon was shining bright enough that he could see what he was doing.

And just like that, an entire night passed by rather quickly, doodling dragons and whatnot.

When morning hit, the Hylian figured that, even though the grounds were slippery, staying here would make him more like a sitting duck. There was no telling another downpour would or would not hit in the next twenty-four hours. And considering there wouldn’t be many places to restock on food in the nearby area, he might as well not drag the trip out any longer.

Not that he knew where the trip was going.  
As long as he wasn’t near anyone to swing a farming tool at, it seemed fine.

So with the most careful of steps, Link took the long way around the Lanayru Heights, knowing that climbing over would be faster, but when everything was this drenched, a death wish all the same. It took until late afternoon before he reached the drop to Trotter’s Downfall. A quick glance over the area, he could see signs of a Hinox residing waaaay off in the distance, near the left edge of the Downfall.

So he’d just make his way down on the exact opposite side.

Pulling a few branches off of the trees nearby, it took a while before he got a fire started with how everything was still slightly damp, but eventually the hero had won the battle.

It really wouldn’t look good on his resumé if he were to be defeated by a bunch of damp, wooden sticks…

Keeping one of the larger branches on hand while the fire was slowly coming to life, the Hylian Champion drew out a pocket knife and started sharpening one end of the stick. When he deemed it sharp enough, some fruit and mushrooms were violently impaled onto it, the blunt end of it stuck into the ground firmly a few inch away from the fire.

Link glanced to where he estimated the Hinox would be, knowing he was far off enough for it to not notice any of the smoke coming from his fire. They weren’t the brightest creatures in the first place, and it was probably sleeping already. Had he ever stumbled on one that wasn’t sleeping, now that he was thinking of it?

His thought process was cut short when he heard leaves rustling not far above him.

Head tilted back, blue eyes glancing upwards, he came face to face with the Sheikah’s symbol.

Upside down.

The moonlight reflecting off of the sharpened blade of a sickle, the pair of blue eyes widened as it came down at him, feeling like time had slowed down.

The Hylian’s instinct immediately pulled him up on his feet and out of reach, even though he was sure this was another memory he was recalling. It happened more often than not that the Yiga Clan would try for an ambush from the trees.

Either way, he was convinced this was another trick of the mind. He’d just close his eyes , and watch everything but the assassin dissapear. He’d convince himself this wasn’t real, close his eyes for one second so all that was really there would go black.

He took one more step back, feeling how his breath was stuck in his throat as his vision was swallowed up by darkness in an agonizingly slow blink.

 _Everything went black_ _…_

And with that, he now knew for sure. That he had been wrong in his assumptions.

That the fucker was very much real, and very much out to take his life, for real.

His ears picked up movement across the small field of grass. In a response of fear, his body automatically performed an evasive maneuver to the right, before he had even opened his eyes back up. He was sure if his body hadn’t responded on its own, he’d feel the blade strike something a lot worse than the side of his left arm.

Even so, feeling the metal cut through his flesh in one swoop, was all but pleasant.

Azure eyes instantly focused on the blur of black and red passing by on his left side.

Link brought his left hand up and locked his arm in with the Yiga member’s own, hand pressed flat against their back as the hero’s left foot slid outwards to swipe his attacker right off their feet.

The moment the other lost their footing, the Hylian let himself fall along with them, dropping his entire bodyweight onto the Yiga member’s back, immediately straddling them firmly as hands flew up to grab at the masked head---

And gave it a violent tug to the side…

Within a mere second, a sickening crack echoed across the fields and Link crawled off like the body had spontaneously combusted into flames.

That had to have been his quickest ‘fight’ with one of these assholes ever. He’d be a lot more proud over it if it wasn’t that he’d be feeling pride over snapping someone’s neck. Instead of pride, it was more something like anger that consumed him at the moment. It wasn’t even that he felt angry towards the Yiga Clan, as annoying as they were. It felt more like anger towards himself, towards the situation. Him being unable to tell if something was a figment of the mind or _REALLY_ trying to kill him.

Had it been like all the other times, the assassin probably would’ve had a chance somewhere during the fight to turn tail, like they’d always do. But now, now Link just wanted to avoid getting into any elaborate battles all together. For all he knew his mind would start meddling in with those too.

At least this time he wasn’t being tormented with that god-awful headache that’d always plague him afterwards.

After regaining his breath, the blond still felt anger pumping through his veins. In an attempt to soothe it, he gave the Yiga member a harsh kick of the boot, sending the body off the side of the cliff.

It didn’t help much.

All he could think of was how he could rely on his reflexes more than he could on his vision these days. At least the rest of his body was still to be trusted then.

It took a while for the adrenaline to tone down again, making room for a strong wave of pain going through his left upper arm, burning like it was on fire. One look was enough to tell this cut was too deep to just wrap a piece of cloth around and hope for the best. The blood was soaking his shirt, and like he had done many times within the last week, the blond cursed.

Pulling a broadsword from his back, the hero speed-walked back to the small fire that, thankfully, was still burning. He held the sword in the middle of the flames, watching it heating up, starting to glow until he deemed it’d be hot enough.

With his free hand, the blond shoved some of the fabric of his cloak between his teeth. Passing the sword from his right hand to his left to allow him to tug away the fabric that’d be in the way, the sleeve was ripped down, the top part pushed up over his shoulder, and now that he had a good look at the wound, it made his heart race even faster.

It had been a clean cut, luckily. But still far from a pretty sight, the blood gushing out so rapidly it was hard to tell how deep the wound actually was. And no way in hell was he going to fiddle with it to find out, that curiosity had only gotten the best of him once.

And it had ended in regret.

Teeth bit into the fabric firmly, right hand taking the blade back, the heated end of it as intimidating as it could ever be. Luckily, it wasn’t the first time he was doing this.

But it didn’t make the action any less unpleasant.

Without leaving himself any second more to start doubting his choices, the glowing hot metal was pressed against the cut firmly. A muffled scream came from deep down his throat, it was almost as painful of a burn as the one against his skin.

Anything was better than bleeding to death or risking an infection.

He knew that.

But he still thought cauterizing wounds was the biggest bitch.

Of course, he could’ve made use of Mipha’s Grace, but when traveling across mountains and high areas, he might just want to save that up for when he needs to come back from something he can’t fix himself.

It was the same reason he had refrained from using Revali’s Gale this entire time, it was a great ‘quick escape’, and he’d prefer to keep that at hand rather than waste it on things he could just climb by himself just fine.

But hey, with the scarring of this new wound being unavoidable, at least he’d have another story to tell to his royal friend at the Zora’s Domain.

If only he knew just how many scars Link actually had. The guy had never seen anything other than the ones on his arms, maybe a few near his neck, but that was about it.

The Hylian also refused to tell him of any other scars than the ones the Zora Prince had actually caught a glimpse of now and then. The overgrown fish would always ask about it if he found his Hylian friend adorned with one or two more. It was for that reason that Link was very careful about showing any skin around the guy, because that’d be a week’s worth of explaining. And that would just be from him having taken off nothing else but his shirt.

The thought was amusing.

It made the stinging of his left arm a little more bearable.

The skewer that had been nicely roasted above the fire now, made it even better.

 

\- - -

 

 

The next day, he knew he’d just have to make his way over to Rabia Plain.

Reason one; staying on the same plateau as a Hinox, was just asking for trouble at some point.

Reason two; he was going to need the basic resources. And here he had neither water, nor much food other than an apple tree or two.

Reason three; he just really didn’t want to spend another day in unwashed clothes. Especially now that his shirt was 30% fabric and 70% his damn blood.

So, with all that sorted out, came another day of going wherever the hell he was going to end up in the long run.

Sneaking past the Hinox who was, thank fuck, still asleep even though the sun was up, had been a suspenseful but also very uneventful part of the day. A small voice within him told him to just ‘screw being stealthy’ and give the monster a nice wake-up whistle.

And he’d have done it in any other situation, but he wasn’t out to see how much shit he could get himself into, unlike some other times he’d been searching for some adrenaline rush. He had enough of those the last few days, could probably go without one for a while.

Thankfully, today was looking like a day that’d work in his favor.

The weather was holding up fine, no rain, no boiling hot sun, as if the heavens were set on letting him have a day off from all the shit this week had been sending his way. No monster encounters either, and the blond even found himself ending up at the plains in a whole lot less time he recalled it taking him the last time he took this route.

By the time he had gotten there, the sun had yet to reach it’s highest point that day. Then again, he had been up and going since sunrise, not really taking much of a break in between either in fear he wouldn’t be able to get back up and walking again.

Maybe the Goddesses felt like going easy on him for a little.

He’d fall to his knees and thank them if his entire body didn’t hurt like he had been hit by a 10-ton boulder.

Ending up on the elevated bits of land that towered over the rest of the plains, the Hylian Champion would be lying he didn’t feel like crying when he heard water running not too far below him. A glance over the entire area down below, left him without a single second of thought before carefully climbing down the edge of the steep surface, finding a small bit of flat ground right at the base of the elevation and next to the small pond. A meager waterfall not too far to the side, and the thought of camping here for a while didn’t seem all that displeasing right now.

With a long-overdue sigh in relief, Link carefully tugged his boots off and placed them next to him, dipping his feet into the cold water with a low hiss coming from behind gritted teeth. He was quite sure the amount of blisters on his feet were starting to get close to the amount of scars covering his skin by now. Though, considering the burning feeling in his left arm, he quickly figured the scars would always have the upper hand in numbers.

The belts that kept all his gear strapped to his back came loose relatively easily, the equipment dropping down to the solid ground with a soft clatter.

It didn’t take long before his clothes followed suit, the shirt removed extra carefully, keeping in mind the bruising of his ribs that were still going through a healing process. The clothes themselves, however, weren’t handled with the same care when everything was tossed into the water rather ungracefully, maybe even a hint of spite behind the action.

Maybe it was just exhaustion, at this point he didn’t know or care much.

The blond carefully let himself sink into the pond, the water being clear enough for him to be able to tell all his toes apart from one another, which often proved difficult in some other waters, some so murky he couldn’t even tell if he still had a lower body or not.

Little to say, it was nice to know he wasn’t dunking himself into a tar pit, to put it down very extremely.

When he reached the deepest part, the water reached up to his navel, which was apparently enough for the shorts to go as well. Even if it was lower water, it wasn’t as if anyone would pass by and see him here, it was rather far off the path and there was nothing special to find in the area either.

Soaking his clothes and washing out any dirt and blood, soon enough they were spread out to dry across one of the rocks nearby. It hadn’t been until the hero had seen how much blood he washed out of the shirt, did he feel a little woozy from all of it. It had gotten his heart racing all over again.

In an attempt to get his mind off of the thoughts it caused to go through his mind, Link yanked his hair tie off once again, wrapping it around his wrist and shaking blond strands of hair loose a little. Wading through the water slowly, enjoying the way it tickled at his skin, he found himself at the base of the small waterfall.

Turning his back towards it, the blond leaned back to feel the water clattering against the back of his head, running through his hair and down his back slowly. After a while, he deemed it safe to step underneath the stream fully, noting it wasn’t coming down as hard onto his frame as he had anticipated at first. Though, it still stung quite a bit upon contact with the wound on his left upper arm and the bruising across his ribs.

Nothing unbearable, luckily.

To say the water felt refreshing, was the biggest understatement as of yet.

It was truly a pity when he had to get out, but with everything from the past few days, it was no surprise that he was getting a little dizzy from it all. Or maybe it was the blood loss? Who knows.

Besides that, risking hypothermia was probably not the greatest of ideas either.

 

In the end, the Hylian did end up setting up camp nearby.

The area proved perfect for a little break, a moment to just sit and think on what to do from this point on. Where was he heading? Where was he definitely not heading? Was there anyone he could go to that wouldn’t be at risk of Link swinging whatever he would have in his hands at them?

A shiver went across his skin at recalling what happened with Koyin, shaking his head a little as if that would take the memory away.

Maybe, not the best thing to think about now.

The Hylian instead focused on the positive things, like how he seemed to be in luck with all the Rabia Plain provided him with.

There were more than enough resources nearby. Water, food, more than enough trees to use for a fire if necessary. There was wildlife not too far off in the distance, a nice chance to test if his precision with a bow worked just as well on that as it had done with the fish a few days before.

Multiple fruit trees, even mushrooms at the base of a few of them.

This spot would be just fine for a few days, just to allow his body to gain some strength and recovery. He couldn’t climb much with one arm only carrying a quarter of his weight anyway, unless he’d want to rip that cut back open.

In the back of his mind, he reminded himself to not get too comfortable here, as it would only be a temporary stay. For as long as he couldn’t trust his own eyes and mind, he couldn’t trust himself being around others. For as long as he couldn’t trust his senses, he didn’t want to be around others. As the Hylian Champion, he was to help people, not the other way around.

A few days passed.

And as it turned out, the area was on the route of someone he’d come to pass by quite frequently during his travels.

Kass always flew over here, and it was something the blond should have remembered considering how many times they had run into one another, two or three of those times being at the exact place they were at right now.

At first, Link hadn’t been to keen on letting the other stay nearby. Soon enough finding that the Rito wasn’t prying for information about his well-being like would have most likely done. Though, he was sure Kass was well-aware things weren’t a hundred percent ‘okay’.

It was also quite a relief to know he was still sane in the head enough to not see a friend for some random monster.

At the end of the day, it was nice to not be out here alone, even if only for a little while.

In the days that had passed since his friend’s ‘visit’,  the hero had noticed the headaches were slowly wearing down as the days passed, but the figments stayed all the same.

Things seemed to appear more frequently as well. And Link wasn’t sure if he was hitting the breaking point where everything would suddenly go back to normal, or if this was a sign things were just getting worse.

He’d take a wild guess, knowing his luck, and pick the latter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, holy fuck not a single bit of dialogue in this entire chapter.  
> I feel somewhat proud of that!


	4. I'm used to it by now

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did not read through this after writing, possible mistakes imminent.  
> With that said, we are getting somewhere because mah gals n dudes I have reached the chapter of the reunion and so I can now upload Ch4 <3  
> (I work at least 3 chaps ahead, fyi)
> 
> \--- in this chap, some more love for Zelda because she's my queen~ ---

It hadn’t been the first time she had used the Sheikah Slate to travel to the Rito Village.

But it was the first time she was doing so alone.

Even with Link being back at Hateno Village, the Princess would always have at least one or two guards accompanying her. This time, she was on her own by choice, but it made the weight of the situation so much heavier to not see anyone appearing by her side as her body materialized, surrounded by a blue glow until she could feel her feet against the stone beneath them.

To see the Akh Va’quot Shrine decorated in flowers, similar to how the children had decorated the goddess statue, made everything feel a little less as if a dark cloud was hanging above the Princess’ head at all times. Nonetheless, she quickly had to turn her focus back to the matter at hand when one of the Ritos addressed her with a rather questionable tone.

Had Link been with her, he’d have instantly named everyone in sight. Zelda, well, it took her a few seconds before the name of said Rito came back to her.

With careful steps, she got off of the platform of the shrine, the soles of her shoes flattening the grass beneath them. The blonde straightened her back and tried her best to hold her head up high, just like she had done at Hateno Village.

“Princess Zelda, we have not been expecting you so soon.”

The mint-colored Rito exclaimed, giving a quick curtesy bow as she came to a halt.

“Something came up that I find necessary to discuss.”

“Shall I inform the chieftain of your arrival, your highness?”

Zelda gave a soft smile, even letting out a quiet chuckle as to put the Rito at ease. Her hand was brought up, waving at the other a little as if to say ‘don’t worry about it’.

“If it is alright with you, I wish to speak to Teba first. It is no matter of high danger, merely something I would like to discuss with him beforehand, so he can provide me some help to word it to the chieftain properly. Nothing of great concern, Amali, I assure you.”

Luckily, Amali wasn’t the type to be suspicious about it, even giving a smile in return at hearing the Princess mention her name so fondly. Her stance became a lot more relaxed and a lot less stiff and former, which in return made Zelda unstiffen her own posture a little bit.

“Do you wish for me to walk with you, your highness?”

“The company would be greatly appreciated.”

Was all she said in return, before passing by the female Rito, who followed suit rather soon and walked the short distance to Teba’s abode along with her. They exchanged some small chitchat, Amali asking how the kingdom was coming along, Zelda asking how her children were doing in return. At this time most Ritos were out for a flight, work or training, so they weren’t bothered all that much with questions from others regarding Zelda’s unannounced presence.

Upon reaching Teba’s place, they could see Saki working on something the Princess could only assume was a new recipe, the way several ingredients were all nicely sorted and spread out across the table. It was almost painful when Amali cleared her throat loud enough for Saki to hear, who responded with a startled yelp and jump, bumping into the table briefly and causing some of the ingredients to start rolling all out of order.

The lilac Rito turned her head, surprise obvious in her expression at seeing Zelda standing in the doorway. Amali gave her one final, barely noticeable bow before taking her leave again, leaving the two of them on their own as Saki stood up straight properly.

“My Princess, wasn’t the next visit planned a few weeks from now?”

The Hylian gave her a smile as well, always feeling like she was welcome almost as if they were family. Obviously, she wasn’t, but it felt nice to be surrounded by people that carried no ill will or intends towards her. Just a warm ambiance all over.

“Saki, my apologies for the sudden visit. I merely wish to discuss something with your husband and the chieftain. Afterwards, I will be taking my leave again.”

The Rito gave her a sigh, as if she had predicted that was what the Princess was going to say before words had even left her mouth. With an inviting motion of her wing, the blonde slowly approached her, stepping over the threshold of their home and even though she had always received a warm welcome, it felt a little like she was intruding on them now that she was here unannounced.

“I’m afraid Teba is at the flight range with Tulin at the moment, the boy is absolutely obsessed with becoming just like Revali. Not that his passion is anything to complain about, but I do wish he’d be as passionate about other things as well. Like cleaning up his own things.”

A light chuckle, a shrug of the shoulders, Saki looked over to where the flight range resided in the distance. Zelda followed the line of her gaze, wanting nothing more than to just go out there as soon as possible and speak to Teba. However, she’d have to get some warmer clothes at the store, and there was no guarantee they’d still be out there by the time she’d be changed and made her way over through the snow.

Instead, the Hylian Princess turned her attention to Saki and gave another gentle smile.

“Would it be rude for me to wait here until they return?”

“As long as you don’t mind staying for dinner, make yourself right at home!”

It was the greatest feeling to see the lilac Rito lighten up at knowing that Zelda would be keeping her company until her boys would be back. Saki turned back to the ingredients strewn about the table, frowning at them a little before she glanced back at Zelda.

“Excuse me Princess but, do you happen to have a good nose for cooking? I got some new ingredients from a Hylian merchant, but I have no idea what does and doesn’t go together.”

The question came as a bit of a surprise, but had the blonde laughing quietly nonetheless, it had been a while since she’d had any input for dinner. Being in such casual situations like these, certainly wasn’t unappreciated.

“Well, I know someone who excels at it. Who knows, I might have picked something up from him?”

It was ironic that no matter how much she had been trying to avoid the subject of Link, he somehow wiggled his way into the conversation either way. And it was even worse that she couldn’t show any of the worries that it caused to go through her mind on her face.

\- - -

With the cold months approaching, the sky had turned a soft purple rather quickly, slowly going on red in the distance where the sun was setting. Saki had actually dug up a warm, winter cloak while they had been working on dinner together, worrying Zelda’s clothes weren’t up to par with the temperatures out here. Something the Princess appreciated more than anything, quickly taking off some of the excessive accessories that came with her garment and wrapping the cloak around her frame. It hadn’t been until the lilac Rito had mentioned it did she feel the cold temperature prickling at her skin.

It was no shocker that Tulin had convinced his father to allow him to stay at the flight range a little longer, though they returned to the village just as the sun shone its last few rays across the mountains.

Saki awaited them outside their home, raising a questioning brow at Teba, who only gave a defeated shrug in return. Their son had to be his only weakness, and sadly for him, the boy probably knew that better than anyone else.

Her foot softly tapped against the wood of the walkway, wings folded over one another in front of her chest as her gaze turned to Tulin, who gave the most innocent little smile in return. It quickly became obvious that both his parents had the same weakness, as Saki gave a barely noticeable roll of the eyes before picking her son up into her arms.

“I’m glad to see you two decided to come home after all. We’ve got company awaiting you.”

The lilac Rito hinted for her husband to go inside when he gave her a confused look in return.

Whoever Teba had been expecting to be there, it certainly wasn’t the sight of the Princess of Hyrule, carefully pouring pumpkin stew into four separate bowls. With a bewildered expression, the white Rito placed down the equipment he and Tulin had brought along to the flight range today, eyes following the Princess’ every move as if he expected her to vanish into thin air if he looked away.

Before he could even get a word out, Zelda spoke up first, holding two full bowls in her hands as she turned to face the family of three.

“I understand you probably have some questions, just as I have some things I would like to discuss. However, I suggest we eat first. Nothing more saddening but a cold dinner, right?”

And all Teba could do in return was laugh at her last sentence. With a light shake of the head, the Rito sat down on the floor, right at the table in the middle of the room, Tulin plopping himself down at the other end as soon as Saki had put him back down.

“You are starting to sound just like Link.”

Teba had dropped all formalities with her, knowing she had requested him to do so every time he’d even try to treat her like the royalty she was. It didn’t seem to go unappreciated, as Zelda put the bowls down on the table with a laugh of her own, sitting down herself after placing the last bowl.

“I hate to burst your bubble, but to sound like Link it would require for me to be silent, would it not?”

“Figure of speech, Princess. Figure of speech.”

 

Dinner went by rather fast.

Any talk during it mostly came from Tulin, who told Zelda with the highest level of excitement just how much he had learned and how well his training was going. Of course, the enthusiasm went through the roof when the Princess told one of the many stories about Revali, a few that she had gotten the chance to personally experience.

All of it had drained the young Rito’s energy so much, it didn’t take long for him to doze off after dinner. Which was for the better, considering the Hylian Princess was hoping for him to not be part of the conversation, considering how fond the little boy was of her (ex-) knight.

Saki having put the kid to bed, the ambiance instantly changed to something so serious it was almost bone-chilling compared to the warmth from a few seconds before. Zelda and Teba had both remained at the table, both quiet until the Rito let out a sigh and straightened himself a little more.

“So, the things you wished to discuss?”

It was obvious the Princess was not the only one who could make a full personality change when on the subject of business. She actually knew quite a few people who had that ‘ability’, and it made it a lot more easier for herself to slip into something that could be called ‘distant’ compared to her usual kind-hearted nature.

“Yes. First, my apologies for the sudden and unannounced visit.”

“No apologies necessary, Princess. It only means whatever you wish to discuss is just that important.”

“I would not say it is anything that concerns the safety of our people, but it is of enough importance to myself to seek you out for advice.”

A silence.

Teba quirked a brow at her, telling her without words that she was obviously reluctant to spell the issue out directly, instead dancing around it and hinting at what it could possibly be. And the Rito wasn’t much of a charades fan to begin with.

“… Link is missing.”

As calmly as she stated it, it was the exact opposite of how the Rito warrior responded to it. Had he flown up from his seat any more intensely, she was sure he’d have gone through the roof. And it wouldn’t be a figure of speech.

“What?! How?!”

The question was answered with a sigh coming from the blonde. She couldn’t say she was getting tired of explaining the situation, because she’s had to deal with repeating a story more often than not. But this was one that just really didn’t sit well with her, personally.

“To put things short; there was an incident at Hateno Village a few weeks back, he ran off and has not been seen since. Based of what he has taken along for supplies, I have already ruled out a few possible areas he could have gone to, but it is nothing to write home about.”

“Incident? Princess, forgive me if it sounds rude, but I don’t see how I can be of any help to you when you only tell me so little.”

Another deep sigh, hearing the story being re-told by her own voice, it really didn’t sit well with her.

But then what option did she have? Ritos flew out and about across the lands every day. She wouldn’t need them to actively search for him, nor approach him or bring him anywhere, she just needed sightings, reports, anything to serve as her path of breadcrumbs.

“Right…”

With an unmistakable frown on her face, once again that day, she went over every little detail she had been told earlier. What had happened, the things she had seen (or not seen) at Link’s house, the theories from Purah and Impa. But mostly, she spoke of how she felt like it was up to her to bring him back.

“Any sightings, anything that can lead me into the right direction. I am not asking for assistance, because I do not know in what kind of state he is in at this point. A confrontation might cause him to run off all over again, and I would certainly not forgive myself if anyone got hurt because of my inabilities.”

“I can provide you with any reports, no problem. However, Princess, please do not sell yourself short like that. Your intentions back then were nothing but kind, and your intentions right now are nothing less than the same.”

With regained self-confidence, Zelda gave him a firm nod. She took out the Sheikah Slate and opening up the map, placing it down so they could both see what was on the screen. The Hylian Princess zooming in on the area he’d most likely reside in.

“Would you mind going over the map with me? I was hoping you might have some insights on where he could have possibly headed towards.”

“I’m no expert on how your knight thinks, but I’ll try to rule out some locations I think are impossible for him to cross, knowing the gear he has taken with him.”

The both of them went over the map, quickly coming to the conclusion West Necluda was no option, considering the amount of people he’d risk running into. Which left the directions of East Necluda, Necluda Sea, Mount Lanayru and the Lanayru Wetlands.

“Does he have his Snowquill armor with him?”

“It was still at his home, so unless he passed by here in the last three weeks, I would say ‘no’.”

“Then Lanayru Mountain is a no go, the cold would take him down within a day.”

“I do believe Necluda Sea would not be any place to look for him either, being so out in the open and easy to see. Surely, he ran off in a panic, but he is not stupid.”

“True, then that leaves us East Necluda and the Lanayru Wetlands. If you’ll take a blunt observation, I would rule out the Wetlands for now and say ‘Lanayru Heights’ would be as far as he could go. Considering the Wetlands have been rebuilding their village as well, and if my memory serves me well the Zora are often around that same area too. If he did head into that direction, it definitely would not be all the way up to the Wetlands.”

“Good observation, I expected no less.”

The white rito gave a proud grin, at which Zelda nearly rolled her eyes before facing the map again, zooming out to see the entire area surrounding Hateno Village.

“Actually, with the rain season that hit the area around the time of his disappearance, I’d rule out the Lanayru region all together. It requires a lot of climbing, he wouldn’t be stupid enough to climb mountains during a rain season.”

Teba’s feathers glided across the screen, circling around the mountainous area made up of the Lanayru heights and everything around it. It really did seem illogical for the hero to have headed that way and risk death. But Zelda couldn’t cross it out entirely in her mind, he’s done a lot of risky things before after all.

”So, our safest bet would be East Necluda then. It would give him the most solitude, and his home in Hateno Village is already on the right side of town for him to be heading that way without crossing too many travelers’ paths.”

The blond continued, to which the Rito immediately responded.

“And he could always take it further into the Faron region.”

“Then, I do think we have main focus set. However, I must ask of you to make sure no word of this goes out to the Hylians. The risk one of them is but an imposter is too high to get them involved.”

“Understood, I’ll make sure to have anyone crossing these areas to report any sightings.”

“That would be greatly appreciated.”

Saying it so formally didn’t sound right, so the Princess cleared her throat before feeling the corners of her mouth curl up as she spoke.

“Thank you, Teba.”

“Always here to help. Now, seeing as it is already this late, shall I set up the guest room for you?”

“Oh no, no. I have already imposed on you and your family more than enough.”

“Alright, let me try and ask it the way the ‘Princess of Hyrule’ would.”

The rito coughed before straightening himself again, an obvious mockery to how Zelda would always do the same before speaking up.

“I insist you stay for the night, if only out of concern for your safety.”

The Princess crossed her arms, raising one eyebrow as if to say she was rather unimpressed without speaking a single word. It seemed like some of Link’s wordless antics were rubbing off on her after all.

“Unless you don’t want those reports after all~?”

All Zelda could think was whether or not she really had done something like that just to get her way. And then she mentally laughed at herself for even asking such a thing.

Of course she had.

 

\- - -

 

 

He had already spent nearly an entire week at the Rabia Plain, which was quite something knowing and telling himself every single day that he shouldn’t be staying in one place for so long. So much for listening to your own advice.

Sitting at the edge of the hill, the pond he’d come to favor quite a bit right beneath his dangling feet, the blond watched as the sun went down, a sight he’s seen five times from the same spot already. Or was it six times? His sense of time had been way off lately, not knowing how many days had passed, and the constant reoccurrence of memories didn’t do much fixing to it either.

He’d often recall things that happened at nighttime during the day, sometimes getting so stuck in a memory, it was as if a day had passed. And maybe it had, hell it’s not like he had anyone around to ask.

That was, until a rather familiar, feathered figure came into sight. Having flown above the plains before slowly coming down to land, only a few steps away from the shrine he could see in the distance.

Link wasn’t sure whether the best idea would be to remain absolutely still and hope for the best, or to grab his shit and make a run for it. Of course, knowing he was still seeing Kass as who he was, that was a great relief. But it still didn’t give a full guarantee that he was getting any better, or getting any worse. It was during thoughts like that, he wished the Goddesses would bother giving him the answer, just this once.

It seemed fate had decided to start getting on his nerves again, after a week of peace and quiet.

Great.

In the time the Hylian had been contemplating his mental state, his eyes had lost focus of everything before him. By the time that focus was regained, all he could see was the colorful Rito waving at him. And out of nothing but ice-cold nerves and complete stupor, Link waved back ever so slowly.

Little to say, it didn’t take long before the minstrel landed a few feet behind him, a fond look in his eyes which nullified any idea of ‘getting the fuck out’ entirely. Link just sat frozen in place, lips pursed and fingers fiddling with the rim of his shirt. Blue eyes just lingered, following the Rito’s figure with every step they took, right until said Rito sat himself down next to the Hylian. Only then, did he blink.

“We meet again!”

If Link had been in any bit of a stronger connection with his emotions, he was pretty sure he’d have almost shed a tear at hearing those well-known words from a well-known voice. It sent and instant wave of relief through every fiber of his body, muscles losing their tension slowly, an alleviated sigh slipping past his lips.

“It’s been quite a while since we’ve seen one another. Are you with the Princess?”

Kass looked around, searching for any sign of the Hylian Princess, but not really getting any signs that she was anywhere nearby. The thought confirmed when Link shook his head lightly, fingers letting go of the fabric of his shirt so he could sign at the other.

[I’m out on my own.]

The Rito gave a small smile, barely noticeable, and turned his gaze to look across the plains like the blond had done so a few minutes ago. The sun was almost completely out of sight, the last few rays of bright light casting dark shadows across the mountains.

“Hmhmm. Revisiting some memories from your travels?”

Oh boy, if only Kass knew just how hard he had hit the nail on the head with that question.

[… Sort of.]

A rather awkward silence fell.

Even without spoken words, the ‘tone’ in his signing didn’t give off much of a positive vibe. And the hero was sure that the minstrel could tell so with ease.

With that, he changed the subject before there could be any more questions coming his way. He’d rather not drag anyone into his little issues.

[So, what are you doing all the way out here?]

“Ah. I have been spending a few days at the Zora’s Domain, had planned to make my way over to the stable near the Dualing Peaks and spend the night there before heading over to Hateno Village.”

[Visiting your fans again?]

Catching the moment where the corners of Link’s lips curled up for one millisecond was a challenge on its own, but not impossible. The Rito gave a small shrug with his shoulders as his eyes locked with the blond’s, the blue color seemed more dull than he’d recall them to be from the last time they had seen one another.

“You’re not the only one who made friends along the way, you know?”

[We’re you planning on paying me a visit then?]

“I actually was, to be honest.”

[… But?]

“Well, you don’t seem to be home at the moment.”

The remark actually managed to get Link to nearly choke on his own saliva for a moment, giving a light cough which sounded closer to a very awkward chuckle.

[Sorry I ruined your plans.]

“Oh, don’t you worry about it.”

A moment of peace and quiet.

“I’m used to it by now.”

The words were spoken in a mocking, pouty tone, but rather quickly drowned out by the Hylian going into a miniscule laughing fit. Something they both had missed, in different ways, but for Link it sure was nice to be laughing like that again.

They spent some more time just sitting there, Link starting up a fire as to keep the cold night air from chilling him to the bone, Kass not really needing the warmth thanks to the blanket of feathers, but joining the other near the fire either way if only to be social.

The Rito told him of his visit to the Domain, how, after the guards, the children there were the first ones to greet him. They always did, and Link knew exactly why. Those kids were fascinated by anything that wasn’t part of the daily scenery. Not to even start on the fact Kass was a minstrel, and music just seemed to give any kid an energy boost unlike anything.

Another thing the both of them could agree on and talk about all night, was how hard it was to fall asleep over at the Domain, with all  those waterfalls in the vicinity. Honestly, of all subjects they discussed, that one had drawn the most emotion out of the blond. He couldn’t remember the last time he had felt a groan rumble in his throat so much it caused a coughing fit.

Something that didn’t go unnoticed for the Rito, however, was how little eye-contact the Hylian was making now. Which was a little weird, knowing that he never spoke unless necessary, but the hero always made sure to make eye-contact when conversing, as if to make up for the lack of words.

Another thing that was easy to notice, was how the Hylian had become thinner, or maybe he was confusing him with someone else now. There were a lot of Hylians he had come across after all, even in the Zora’s Domain. Plus, Link had always been a bit on the small side for his kind, so Kass didn’t really say or think too much about it.

If anything was wrong and the blond wanted to talk about it, he’d have spoken up (figuratively) to the Rito long ago.

Instead, when the sky was at its darkest and they ran out of things to talk about for the time being, the minstrel just grabbed a hold of his accordion and fiddled with it a little before looking over at Link with a look that spelled ‘excitement’ in all caps.

“Would you mind me playing you something? I’m a better storyteller through music anyway.”

The hero said nothing, signed nothing. He just gave a light nod and gestured for Kass to ‘go ahead’. A chance the Rito would never pass up on, knowing the other had always enjoyed listening to his tunes, and not only because they helped him on his quest. Very often, Link had asked him to play a certain few of them again, even after solving the puzzles and riddles some of them contained.

It took about three or four tunes for the blond to doze off to the music. And about another three more before Kass realized he had fallen asleep. With a light huff in amusement, the Rito got up and added some more wood from the nearby pile to the fire, making sure it’d last at least the coldest part of the night. The minstrel made himself comfortable against the hillside Link had fallen asleep against, his accordion put next to him as seeing the other sleep made his own body feel a whole lot more tired as well.

For as long as it took for him to fall asleep, the cerulean blue Rito just hummed the rest of the songs he’d have played, until he finally drifted off himself.

On one hand, the stables would have been a whole lot more comfortable.

On the other hand, seeing a good friend smile like that and knowing they probably really needed that. Made even something as simple as grass and ground feel as comfortable as a soft bed.

At least, that’s what he told himself that evening.

The next morning, every muscle in his body disagreed, and it made him really wonder how Link looked so well-rested after sleeping in what had seemed an even more uncomfortable sleeping position than he had been in himself.

 

As said, that same day Kass flew on to Hateno Village.

And it left Link to deal with the same feeling that had been plaguing him before, by himself again. Not that he wanted to make a friend any part of this, but surely seeing someone go off and once more being by oneself, it had always been an icky feeling. He couldn’t help but wonder if this was how others felt when he’d leave to head back home.

Feeling a little down, Link however did decide it was about time to get ready and move on.

He had spent a few days getting together some food, getting himself mentally and physically ready to head out further again. Of course, that was exactly the point in time where whoever was in charge of the weather, decided he hadn’t had a good dose of rain for a while now.

And thus, he got a rainstorm that lasted nearly three days.

Fucking fantastic.

 

\- - -

 

 

After being away from home for so long, though nothing compared to when Calamity Ganon had still been around, the blue Rito was ecstatic to see his village come into view after a long flight. So far, no sight of his daughters yet. Which was only a good thing, back when he had been gone for months, they had attacked him upon arrival and left his accordion as the only victim to perish from that onrush.

Something that made the mood a little more doubtful, was to see Teba standing at the landing platform, seemingly distressed as he spoke with Harth. It set a low level of worry to nag at the back of his mind, speed lowering as his claws unflexed to get ready to land. There was barely any sound as his feet came into contact with the wooden platform, a landing so soft it would probably be a personal record.

Harth and Teba had both turned their heads to look at him, and Kass gave a slight nod in return as to acknowledge their presence. However, he did not expect Teba to actually turn around and start up a conversation with him. They never spoke much, mostly because either Teba was at the Flight Range or Kass was away from home.

“You got back right on time. Can I talk to you for a bit?”

A familiar pitter-patter of claws caught his attention before he could respond. Kass rapidly getting the straps of his accordion undone and pressing the thing into Teba’s hands with a bit too much force, causing the white Rito to take a step back.

“Pleas hold this for me.”

“Wha--?”

The Rito warrior barely got the time to question the other’s actions as five colorful, little bundles of feathers tackled the cerulean blue Rito to the floor. Loud squeaks filling the air as they excitedly huddled up to their father, who just laughed at the warm welcome, relief evident in his features that it didn’t cost him his instrument this time.

The mere sight seemed to amuse the other two adult Ritos, smiles rather evident on their appearance. It took about a minute or two before the swarm of five settled down enough for Teba to get a word in, setting the accordion down at the side safely before approaching once more.

“The Hylian Champion has gone missing.”

The statement was responded to with a bewildered look and nothing but silence, apart from the five girls still making their excitement very clear, vocally.

“Princess Zelda came by two days ago, we’ve gone over the map and concluded he has most likely headed towards the East Necluda region, by now possibly already making his way over to the Faron region. I’ve heard you usually come across those areas on your way to Lurelin Village, could you perhaps—”

“He isn’t in the East Necluda region.”

The interruption was unexpected.

Normally, Kass would let anyone speak until they were finished with their story. But it seemed like there was enough urgency behind all this, that it’d be better to just speak up as soon as possible.

“What do you mean ‘he’s not in the East Necluda region’?”

The words by themselves could be considered hostile, but the tone of voice sounded like disbelief. Which wasn’t all that surprising, knowing Teba and the Hylian Princess had probably crossed out any other areas for a reason.

“… I met him at the Rabia Plain a few days ago.”

Now it was the white Rito’s turn to give a bewildered look at the other.

With a careful motion, Kass shooed his daughters off of him and got off the floor, straightening himself properly as the girls ran off to tell their mother of his return.

“Are you certain of this?”

“Unless someone has gone as far as to imitate his every being, very certain.”

That was all the Rito Warrior needed before looking over at Harth, telling him to keep an eye on things around the Village, and set off for Hyrule Castle.

There was no time for neatly written letters and calmly paced messengers. Teba knew he flew a whole lot faster than any other, he’d deliver the message personally, if only out of respect of what the Hylian Champion had done for them back when Vah Medoh had been a threat to the village.

In a way, it was a debt he’d always wanted to repay.


	5. "I'm not serving 'no'."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello hello here we are again!  
> I've gotten myself stuck in Linksona hell so there's that.  
> But I'm trying my utmost best to still keep the chapters coming so what I'm aiming for is 2 weeks between chapters, as a maximum.  
> Let's pray I succeed...  
> (ps. this is not proofread/beta-d, just a warning ^^; )

The first rays of sunlight broke through the darkness of the early morning, lighting up the mountains around the village before the sun slowly raised above them, shining its warm light on the houses from top ‘till bottom. It was quite a sight to see, and Zelda took in every single second that she watched the world being doused in color.

To say she had had a hard time falling asleep, was an understatement. Though eventually she had gotten some shuteye, it hadn’t been much and might just be considered absolutely nothing at all compared to the usual hours.

But even with that knowledge, there was no sitting still.

With careful steps, the Princess hoisted herself out of the bed, a little bothered she hadn’t really been able to enjoy some good night’s rest despite how ridiculously comfortable the bed had been. Looking down at what remained of her attire from the previous day, she carefully tugged at the fabric of her top, trying to get out the wrinkles that the corset had left there. A futile attempt, but it was something to do while the last remnants of sleep slowly left her body.

Her feet slipped into her boots without a single sound, as well as her steps being perfectly soundless as she made her way out of the guestroom.

Of course she wasn’t going to just take her leave like that, but being the only one awake at this time gave her a moment to get her thoughts together while still only half-awake.

The Hylian mentally sorted out her agenda for the day, meanwhile her hands skimmed over the ingredients she and Saki had stored away the night before, figuring they could be kept occupied with making breakfast. It was the least she could do in thanks for their hospitality and help.

As it turned out, she wasn’t the only one to wake up at sunrise.

Just like with Zelda herself, their footsteps were silent. Their presence unnoticed until the Princess felt a sudden tug at her belt and visibly flinched, startled by the sudden pull on her outfit as green eyes turned to look down at the one responsible for the assault. She was met with a pair of icy blue eyes staring right back at her, though a very sleepy look on their owner’s face.

The blonde regained her composure and put whatever ingredient she had been holding in her hand, she hadn’t paid attention to it much being lost in thought and all, back down on the shelf it had been stored on. She sank through her knees until she was sitting down in a squat, now at eye-level with the little Rito as a smile crept its way onto her lips.

“Are you always up this early?”

She asked, quietly as to not awaken anyone else.

Tulin brought up a wing and carefully rubbed his eyes, as if that would get rid of the sleepy feeling. He shook his head slightly, a tiny yawn escaping before the white Rito softly spoke up as well.

“Mmh, thought I saw Link…”

In all honesty, it wasn’t a weird thing that he’d mistaken her for the other Hylian. Considering their hair color was so alike, and uncommon now, or so it seemed. Add to that, she was standing in the kitchen, sorting out ingredients and skimming through the options on what to make with them. Had her hair been shorter and held up in a messy ponytail, she’d probably fool even an adult Rito for at least a minute or two.

“I am afraid it is just me.”

What else could she say? There wasn’t really any else she could say, normally she’d tell him something along the lines of ‘I will tell him to stop by soon’. But making such a promise now that she had not a single clue of the other Hylian’s whereabouts was nothing but foolish.

“… Are you really going to find him?”

For a moment, the Hylian Princess was certain she had felt her heart come to a halt, if only briefly.

The kid had been listening in on their conversation last night. Maybe not voluntarily, but she had certainly not assumed for him to be awake at the time.

The question itself, had been one she had been asking herself as well. Throughout the entire night, as well as the first second when she had woken up this morning. And she was sure it was a question she’d be asking herself until she’d stand face-to-face with the Hylian Champion himself.

“… I sure hope so.”

Was all she said in response. Of course bringing the boy’s hopes up would be the way to go, but with the little sleep the blonde had the previous night, and the amount of insecurity on whether or not she’d find him, there was just no way she could make it sound convincing. Link had been out there before, knew probably ever little secret pathway to remain out of sight, and here she was trying to find a needle in a haystack.

Even if she’d find him, in what state?

There was so much to think about, it was hard to focus on what was happening around her when her mind was so occupied. That was until a pair of small, feathered wings wrapped themselves around the hand she had placed on her own knee. Once more, her gaze locked with Tulin’s, and it seemed he had confidence to share for the both of them. For a short moment, she saw Revali in that same gaze.

“I know so! With my dad’s help, you’ll find him for sure!”

Leave it to a child to boost her self-esteem, with their endless positive attitudes, there was no shame in admitting that it really made her feel a million times better to hear those words coming from Tulin.

Though with his last words raised in volume, it didn’t take long before Teba stepped into the room as well and, still half-asleep, watched the scene in front of him. No words spoken as he came closer, placing a wing over his son’s head as he looked down at him.

“Just because they call it an ‘early bird’, doesn’t mean you have to be up before the sun has risen properly.”

The Rito ruffled the small feathers covering Tulin’s head, making a bit of a mess out of them before the little boy himself pushed his father’s wing away softly and brushed the same feathers flat against his head again. A small scowl on his features as he turned to look at his father.

“I wanted to help the Princess with breakfast, is all!”

Teba’s gaze went from Tulin to Zelda, who got back onto her feet properly and directed her own gaze to meet the other’s. The white Rito once again raised a brow, as to question the blonde whether Tulin’s words were truthful or not. She glanced at the kid, giving a warm smile before nodding ever so slightly.

“Well, I am not the Hero of Hyrule. He is probably just making sure I will not be making something dubious.”

“Oh hush, I’m sure your cooking skills are not that terrible.”

“Tell that to Link next time, he might just die laughing at you.”

“… Really? _That_ bad?”

“I tried to feed him _a frog_ , he has never let me live it down, not even after a hundred years.”

A look of surprise showed in Teba’s eyes, a nervous glance towards his son before he focused back on the Princess.

“… Sooooo Tulin was helping you out?”

Zelda had to stifle a laugh.

Tulin did definitely not stifle his, and in turn ended up waking his mother from her slumber as well.

All in all, the Princess was sure her morning would’ve been a lot less eventful and enjoyable had she not taken up on Teba’s offer to stay the night. And she was nothing but grateful he hadn’t taken her ‘no’ for an answer.

 

 

After breakfast, the Princess had returned to the guestroom to get the rest of her attire on. However, one glance at the corset she had been wearing the day before, along with the thought of heading for Gerudo Town later that day, made her scowl at it rather intensely.

At this point, she was relieved she had packed up that white Gerudo outfit back at Link’s place and shoved it in her bag. Just the top would be fine, maybe the pants too considering the ones she currently wore would be a little constricting compared to the ones that were made to be worn when wading through the desert. The only thing remaining in the bag after some thinking, was the veil that was to cover up the face. She kind of wanted to be recognized by the guards, so covering up half her face probably wasn’t the way to go.

After a little while of fiddling with the fabrics and the jewelry attached to it, she eventually got the garment on the way it was intended to be put on. As complicated as it looked, compared to putting on a corset by oneself, the outfit was child’s play.

Neatly folding her previous attire and tucking it away in the bag, Zelda stepped out of the room after making sure she had left everything neatly and in order.

She had somewhat already expected the surprised look on both Saki and Teba’s faces, after all, this wasn’t really an outfit one would deem fitting for someone of royal stature. But if the choice was between looking like a princess and suffocating, or looking a little more common but with the ability to breathe, the answer wasn’t all that hard to figure out.

“Princess, don’t you think that is a little unnecessary?”

Saki spoke up softly, Teba having turned to Tulin who demanded his attention, asking when they’d be heading out for the Flight Range again as he packed some of the arrows together. The smaller Rito did however acknowledge the garment change, if only for a minute as he looked at Zelda with his eyes wide open, index finger pointing at the garment and proudly stating that ‘Link has one of those as well’.  The more time she spent around Tulin, the more she started to understand why her friend was so fond of the little boy.

“I will be off to Gerudo Town next. It is not so much my appearance that I am taking in regard, but rather the fact that my other attire would pose some problems with the constant heat over there.”

She responded, tying the bag closed and tugging at it once more for good measure.

Originally, she had intended to go speak to the chieftain of the village herself, but they were on a clock here, and she had already spend enough time of that clock. Knowing how hard it was to discuss things with Kaneli lately, probably due to his age, the Hylian Princess had decided to disregard that first idea in favor of increasing the chances of any sightings as soon as possible.

“Teba, could I be so rude as to ask if you could please lay down the situation with Kaneli in my place?”

As if he had read her mind far before she spoke a single word, the white Rito nodded carefully. Trying to pay mind to her words while simultaneously appeasing his son’s energetic babbling and behavior.

The blonde secured the Sheikah Slate to her belt, before opening the map and tapping onto the Daqo Chisay Shrine. Once more, her eyes locked with those of each member of the family in front of her, wanting to thank them even more than she had already done, wanting to tell them she’d keep them informed. But by the look in their gazes, no more words were needed, and with one more tap the Hylian vanished into a bright, blue glow of light.

Only to materialize once again, at a different shrine.

 

\- - -

 

It was good she had left early, avoiding the worst heat during the day. If she were to take her boots off, certainly the sand would feel relatively cold beneath her feet. Still, it was good she had chosen to wear the appropriate outfit, who knew how long she’d be spending here. There wasn’t even a way to guarantee that Riju would be present right now, her responsibilities went out further than just Gerudo Town after all.

Not letting those thoughts ruin her mood, Zelda lifted her head and held it high as she approached the main gateway. Her steps were put to a halt momentarily by Dorrah and Merina, the Gerudo women that would usually stand guard at the entrance to the town. Hearing someone approach from the left rather than seeing them in the front made them to be on guard, right before recognizing that someone to be the Hylian Princess. It was always good to see that their guarding duties were taken seriously, but it was even better to watch them step aside for Zelda to go through, a smile on both their features as they made a quick curtesy bow.

Zelda returned one of her own, even though everyone always told her there was no need. A bow showed respect, and for her that was always a mutual thing.

Entering the town brought back a lot of memories. It had always somewhat felt like a second home to the Princess, but that was mostly because her and Urbosa had been just that close with one another.

It was memories like those that made her wish she could turn back the clock more often than not. As much as she had come to terms with the passing of the Champions, it still irked her to be reminded of it, as she had been the one to call upon them as such. The blame wasn’t entirely hers, and whoever else it could have been would have left her with this same feeling. But there were days she wished she had known what she had been getting them into at the time, a lot of things would have gone different.

As she crossed the market, nearly all eyes were on her. Usually it would be because she’d have an entourage of some of her own (female) guards with her, but this time it probably was for the exact opposite reason. It’s not at all common for a princess to go wandering about all by herself, but then again Zelda had never really played entirely by the rules and expectations of others.

Upon ascending the stairs towards the palace, only one of the guards came into view, whereas there’d normally be one on each side of the doorway. The Hylian quickly recognized the guard standing there to be Reeza, who noticeably stiffened up as soon as they made eye contact.

“Princess Zelda?! To what do we owe this visit? I believe no one has received word you would be passing by today.”

The blonde gently raised a hand, holding it out straight as to pass for a ‘stand down’ signal.

“At ease, Reeza. My visit has not been announced, but I assure you it is for a good reason.”

Now that she thought of it, she wasn’t entirely sure if signals like that were universal or not. Perhaps the Gerudo had something entirely different? With that thought, the Hylian let her hand drop back down, her fingers fiddling with the fabric of the sirwal.

“My apologies if this is perhaps at an inconvenient time, but is there any possibility I could speak with Lady Riju?”

Reeza took a few seconds, looking like she had to think of how to word her response before carefully shaking her head, however the motion seemed rather unsure.

“I’m afraid Lady Riju is at the training grounds with Teake and Buliara at this moment. Ever since your stories of Lady Urbosa, she has been set on following in her footsteps and becoming equally as strong and skilled.”

Hearing that was quite the surprise. Knowing how young Riju still was, it was admirable to know she had taken up on training as well next to her duties as the chief. Running a town at such a young age, Zelda felt like she saw resemblances between herself and the Gerudo Chief every now and then.

“Surely I would not mind having someone escort you there, though I can’t guarantee if she’ll quit practice early. She’s quite set on keeping to her schedule when it comes to this, her determination has actually motivated some others to sign up for some training as well.”

This time it was Zelda’s turn to shake her head.

“Thank you for the offer, Reeza. But there will be no need for an escort, I happen to know my way around just fine. It is, however, good to hear everything is going so well here.”

Reeza said no more, just smiled and stepped aside with a slight bow, which Zelda respectfully returned once again.

The two guards inside the palace had surely noticed her, just like she had been aware of their presence the moment she stepped in, but didn’t say a word. If the Hylian Princess was walking in so calmly, there was no reason to assume she hadn’t been allowed to pass, and therefore there was no reason to start up any conversation with her either.

The blonde looked around, recognizing every little detail, every crack in the stone, every small blemish that just made this place exceptionally beautiful. Her feet automatically making their way over to the staircase that led to the training grounds, eyes fixated on everything around her until she was halfway down those stairs.

Spear in hand, Riju had turned to face the Hylian Princess making her way down the stairs, Buliara frozen in place next to her, presumably having been giving instructions to the young Chief.

Zelda couldn’t help but notice that which each visit, Riju was growing up to look more and more like the Lady Urbosa she admired so much. Facial structure, hair and eye color, but mostly it was just the vibe that surrounded the girl. It made the Hylian feel a whole lot more at ease, made her feel at home. In a few years, she might just accidently address Riju as ‘Urbosa’ if this resemblance would become any more uncanny.

Riju shifted her weight a little, one hand on her hip as the other didn’t so much as lessen its grip on the spear, a small, amused grin on her face as she was obviously trying to catch her breath and making it go unnoticed. Though with her chest heaving up and down so obviously, it was rather impossible.

“Zelda, what a pleasant surprise!”

It felt as if a weight was being shoved off her shoulders when the chief addressed her so informally. The first time Riju had done so, it surprised her, and the young Gerudo had thought the Hylian was opposed to the idea of being addressed as herself rather than as ‘the Princess of Hyrule’. Quite the contrary, the absence of one mere word made such a huge, positive difference. The Hylian Princess was rather grateful they were on such good terms with one another.

“I could be saying the same to you. Reeza informed me you have taken up training?”

There was a hint of a smug, little grin playing on the chief’s lips. Buliara had grabbed a hold of the spear she had been practicing with moments ago, setting it aside before returning to her place a few feet away from Riju herself.

“Why else would I be at the training grounds?”

 

 

Zelda decided not to try and come up with a response to that question, it needed no answer in the first place.

“It looked like it was going well, my apologies for the disturbance.”

“Nonsense! I should be taking a break anyway, overexerting myself is not on my ‘to-do list’ for today.”

The redhead carefully ran her hands through her hair, pushing a few locks that had gone astray back behind her ears, a rather deep sigh following as her body temperature only became apparent now that she had put her ‘workout’ to a halt.

“Would you care to join me? I’m sure you being here is not without reason.”

“It would be my pleasure to accompany you.”

At that, one of Riju’s brows arched up in a questioning manner.

“Are you trying to flatter me, Princess?”

“Merely speaking the truth, my Lady.”

It was clear as day for anyone that they only used each other’s titles in some form of mockery, and to them that was just fine. Zelda stepped aside to let Riju pass and lead the way, following her back up the stairs as she heard the young chief let out what seemed like a groan in discomfort. Luckily, the Princess didn’t even have to ask if anything was wrong, her question answered long before it was even asked.

“Ugh, I reek of sweat.”

Hearing her speak like that, caught the Hylian off guard and it took as much as her biting her lower lip to keep her from snickering at the remark. Even so, the irregular pace of her breathing was enough of a hint for Riju to turn her head and look Zelda in the eye, pretending to feel insulted as she donned a minor pout.

Zelda gave her a small shrug in return, barely having contained her laugh as she spoke with a slight clue of an underlying giggle in her tone.

“I have smelled worse.”

“… Link?”

“Myself, actually.”

“Really?!”

“I had him teach me how to handle a sword some time ago. Little to say, I was sweating like an ox, while he looked like it had been a casual stroll through the gardens.”

This time, it was Riju’s turn to stifle a laugh, getting a questioning glance from Bertri, who stood guard at the staircase that went up to her room. The chief waved a hand at her as if to say it was nothing to worry about, leading the Hylian Princess up to the balcony that looked over the town.

For a moment, she stopped and just looked over the market, smiling as she saw her people going about their day like always, happy to see some more people from other races walking around as well. A golden glow reached across the lands, far in the distance everything was starting to blur out. Whether it was from the heat or the sand being blown about, only the desert itself could tell.

“Honestly, ever since the defeat of Calamity Ganon—no. Ever since Link had appeased Vah Naboris, things have been so peaceful around here. Sometimes it’s hard to believe this isn’t some weird dream of mine.”

Zelda just turned to let her gaze rest over the town as well, noting how the sun was slowly raising up to reach its highest point of the day. Realizing that, the Hylian stepped backwards towards the shade created by the palace a little. Gerudos were used to constantly having the warm rays of sunlight on their skin, but Zelda was sure she’d be as red as a lobster within a few minutes.

The movement didn’t go unnoticed, as Riju turned and gestured for her to enter what was the chief’s bedroom.

“Sorry, I should think of putting up something like a canopy.”

“Oh no, please. There is no need to go through the trouble, I will just have to pay mind of myself.”

“You tell me ‘no’, but we both know I will have it done either way.”

The Hylian crossed her arms as she remained relatively near the doorway of the room, not wanting to venture in too far and intrude on any kind of privacy. Her eyebrows arched in a judgmental expression, but fairly aware it would make no difference in changing Riju’s mind.

Instead of responding to the look on the Princess’ face in any way, and have the subject linger for too long, the young Gerudo walked over to what seemed to be her work desk. Papers strewn about and a canister, presumably filled with water, at the far right corner.

“Would you like something to drink before we ‘talk business’?”

“No thank you.”

“…You’re out in the desert, I’m not serving ‘no’.”

“Fiiiiine, water?”

“That I can do.”

Zelda rolled her eyes with a smile playing on her lips, wondering why she’d been asked if she wanted anything to drink if she wasn’t allowed to answer ‘no’ in the first place. But then again, she herself had a hand of being confusing on that regard as well, or so Link liked to mention every now and then.

The Gerudo Chief grabbed two cups from the shelves that were neatly carved out of the stone wall, carefully pouring the water and handing one of them to the Princess. Who took a hold of it with both hands, taking one quick sip before letting her arms down, hands still cupping the ceramic ever so gently.

“Once again my apologies, Riju. I wish I could have been here on a more positive note than I am, but I could really use your help on this matter.”

Riju’s emerald green eyes locked with Zelda’s own, the contrast of her eyes with the color of her hair making the look rather intense, though it softened up within the blink of an eye as the younger of the two took a few sips of her own before setting the cup down on the desk. She motioned for the blonde to sit down on the chair, inches away from the desk, as the chief herself hoisted her body up on said desk.

Wanting to protest, but being well aware it would fall unto deaf ears, the Hylian Princess took a seat and found herself having to look up at the other now. It had been rather amusing the last time she had been here with Link and Riju had finally surpassed him in height. To the knight’s dismay of course. Meanwhile Zelda was still about half an inch taller than the Gerudo Chief, but it probably wouldn’t last all that long.

“Alright, enough with the apologies, on with the explanation. What is it that plagues you?”

There was a mild bounce in her movement, like a child trying to contain their excitement. Which immediately stilled the moment the Princess voiced that Link was missing. A silence fell over the room, Riju’s expression going from curious to very obviously bothered, brows furrowed and if it wasn’t physically impossible, Zelda could swear she saw the green of her eyes darken by a few shades.

The Gerudo knew very well they weren’t speaking of something like an abduction, no one would be so stupid as to try and capture the Hylian Champion. The only ones who tried so far were of the Yiga Clan, and seeing their numbers declining spoke volumes on just how well that turned out for them.

“… You assume he is heading this way?”

“Quite the contrary, I am assuming he went off into the direction of East Necluda. However, it is merely based on a guess. At this point, the only location I can exclude with certainty is Death Mountain.”

Zelda informed her on everything else she had discussed with the others previously. How long it had been since he was last seen at Hateno Village, the assumption of why he had decided to take distance from the village, to stippling out the routes he could’ve possibly taken with Teba. Throughout it all, Riju spoke not a single word, just nodded for Zelda to continue until there was no more to be told.

For a moment, there was a complete and utter lack of sound, until the heavy sigh of the Gerudo Chief broke the silence.

“I can ask for the guards to keep a lookout, a few merchants that travel between here and the Kara Kara Bazaar daily might be good to consider as well. Of course, I plan to inform the merchants that travel further outwards upon their return, but as of now this is all the help I can offer.”

“It is more than enough, Riju. Though I would kindly ask for anyone that isn’t part of your Guard to merely report on sightings, to avoid a repetition of what happened at Hateno Village. Also, not a single Hylian gets word of any of this. I cannot have the Yiga Clan posing any more of a threat than they do as of right now.”

“Consider it done. I have but one question however, if I may?”

“Of course.”

The redhead leaned forward, elbows resting on her knees and hands supporting her head as her emerald eyes remained focused on the Hylian Princess.

“Why did you not head for Zora’s Domain before coming here? Surely, they are a lot closer to the area you and Teba have pointed out. If he really is somewhere around the Necluda area, there’s a higher chance they’ll be giving you the reports you’d need.”

A question Zelda herself had already gone through in her mind during her restless night at the Rito Village.

Of course, considering the location one would assume that the Domain would be the most logical next step. However, the Princess knew how little ground the Zoras usually covered outside of that domain. Even if they were to send out a search party, like they had done when they were in need of Link to calm down Vah Ruta, it wouldn’t go as far as to reach the Necluda area.

In nearly those exact words, she voiced her thoughts to the younger girl.

“Besides, _if_ he is at East Necluda like we have predicted, there is no need to cause any unnecessary worry to them, since they rarely head out that far into the area either way.”

“You figured since my people go all across the lands, it was the better option?”

Truth be told, there was no shame in admitting that.

“Yes. If my assumptions are wrong, and he has headed for the area of Lanayru after all, then that mistake is mine to bear. But for now, I would not want them to worry and feel any kind of guilt over something that is not their responsibility in the first place.”

As serious as it all was, Riju couldn’t help but press her fingers to her mouth, keeping back a quiet chuckle as Zelda’s eyes instantly shot up to look at her, a bit confused.

“ _Sa_ _’oten_ , are all Hylians this strategic and so set on doing things on their own?”

The comment was answered by one of the blonde’s own laughs, and she stalled a little time before answering that by taking a few long, slow sips from the cup that had still been resting in her hands. Eventually, it ran empty, and by the awaiting look on Riju’s face, there was no delaying a response any longer.

So with the simplest shrug of the shoulders, the Princess let out a rather nonchalant ‘maybe’.

 

\- - -

 

 

It had taken quite a lot longer than anticipated for Zelda to finally return to Hyrule Castle, right before the sun was starting its decent to announce the day was going to be coming to an end once more.

After the ‘business talk’, Riju had actually taken her words from earlier up to the test with a short sparring round.

It wasn’t like either of the two had been all that outstanding with their weapons, not yet at least, but nonetheless the other Gerudo women that belonged to Riju’s guard were staring at them as if another Sheikah Tower had sprouted out of the ground right beneath their feet.

Apparently, the Gerudo Chief and the Hylian Princess having a sparring match was nothing short of unbelievable.

Eventually, Riju had taken the victory. Which made the blonde realize she might’ve become a little rusty ever since she let Link live his own life. She’d remind herself to ask for some more lessons once he’d be in better shape, or maybe she’d just join in on the training of the Royal Guards. Though, they would probably make a big deal about it and hold back on her during a match, and that thought alone made something itch beneath her skin.

As pleasant as her visit to Gerudo Town had been, it was good to come home again. Especially since she had spent the night away from the castle, without having anyone informed about her staying the night over at the Rito village. Something she probably should have thought about last night, but there was no turning back time, and so she succumbed herself to the wave of questions coming at her the moment she set foot inside Hyrule Castle again.

The responsibilities came rolling in just as fast as the questions had been, a lot of restoration projects that needed her approval, the recruitment for the Royal Guard she had requested to take part in, to put a long story short it was a whole ton of work awaiting her return.

In the back of her mind, Zelda wished Link was still with her so she’d have someone to complain to at the end of the day and not be judged for it.

The Princess had wanted to focus on finding her friend so badly, getting through everything that wasn’t related to that specific goal almost made her a little anxious. But she couldn’t leave her main duty collecting dust, while she’d set out on a search that might as well be considered pointless when she had no idea where to even start looking.

A search that became a whole lot less pointless when a few days after her visit to the Rito Village, Teba arrived at the castle in what seemed to be quite the hurry. Delivering the news, after catching his breath first, that the Hylian Champion had been spotted at the Rabia Plain.

Zelda’s eyes had widened at his words instantly, and within five seconds the young Hylian had stormed over to one of her guards and demanded him to hand over his sword. Of course, that didn’t go without the slightest objection of said guard, who quickly gave in to the Princess her wishes once their eyes locked and she gave him the deadliest glare she could possibly muster.

Taking the blade in her hands, her eyes traced the sharp edge all the way to the tip of the sword, feeling a little odd about bringing it along. But if she was to come face to face with her friend, and he really was as out of sorts as Purah had mentioned, she might as well play things safe and bring a weapon of her own along. If not for that then for the monsters that could be residing in the same area.

With her right hand wrapped around the sword’s handle, the left started fiddling with the Sheikah Slate hanging around her waist. Forest green eyes glanced over at where Teba was standing, a moment of utter silence and not a single bit of movement before Zelda took a deep breath.

“Thank you, Teba.”

Her words were responded to with the slightest hint of a smile, words probably being left out merely for the fact the white Rito had absolutely exhausted himself trying to get to the castle as fast as possible.

The blonde gave a smile of her own in return, resuming her speech once she knew for certain the other had heard her words of gratitude.

“I am unsure whether or not he is still in the area. But no matter the outcome, I am really glad to finally have some idea of where we should be looking, instead of just blindly searching for breadcrumbs.”

The Rito remained silent once more, just gave the lightest nod and it was enough for the blonde to, once again, tap at the slate to select the shrine right at the foot of the Rabia Plain.

To think they had been wrong with their estimate of his location after all.

If she wasn’t going to find him there, the least she could do is stick to her word when she had spoken with Riju, and take it upon herself to inform the Zoras. There was no doubt they’d be willing to help out, but hopefully they wouldn’t go out of their way to do so.

“Also, Teba.”

Eyes of a bright golden hue turned to look at her, an obvious sense of wonder to whatever words were about to follow.

“I insist you stay for the night~”

It was impossible to miss the light, pestering tone beneath that statement. A quotation of his own words he had spoken when Zelda had been at the Rito village, and before he even realized, it had drawn a chuckle out of him.

“If you insist, your highness.”


End file.
